The Great Defector
by tainikezza
Summary: Tommy & Lee are on the road to recovery for very different reasons. Since Sparta, Tommy's life & luck are improving. But seeing Bren & Tess day in day out makes him pine all the more for the very thing he's missing. Lee Aherne moves to Philly to start fresh and desert her past, just like Tommy once had. But the past has ways of catching up with you. M for language/future
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC's._**

* * *

**_After Sparta_**

From the moment Tommy was landed in hospital to deal with his dislocated shoulder, to him pulling up in the driveway of Brendan's home after the straight drive from JAG Headquarters in Washington to Philly, he felt as though he had been running on autopilot. And it was only when his foot was firmly in the front door of Brendan's house that he could be sure it was all over, and breathe a sigh a relief. Because it _was _over, and he had escaped serious punishment by the absolute skin of his teeth.

After a trip to the hospital, a closed reduction of his dislocated shoulder meant no surgery, much to his relief. And after some x-rays and an MRI to determine the damage, it turns out he was damn lucky. No fractures and minimal damage inflicted to the surrounding ligaments. So in short, it was nothing three weeks in a sling and a weekly trip to the physiotherapist for six couldn't fix.

So the first hurdle that the next few weeks had to offer was already dealt with. But the worst was yet to come, and he barely had time to take a breath after the hospital discharged him before it was onto the next one.

He had his ass thrown in to a prison cell while he awaited a court martial for going AWOL. And the possibility of desertion charges, meaning imprisonment at Fort Leavenworth for the majority of his 30's only to emerge with his 40's approaching with no place to call home, no friends, and a very slim chance of getting himself a decent job, was enough to bring him to tears if the whole experience hadn't been so completely and utterly surreal he could hardly blink. The short time he spent in the brig gave him a taste of how things could have turned out, and he thanked whatever forces he was sure had to be at work for him to have made such a narrow escape.

Brendan of course was all over it. By the time the ball was rolling as far as the court martial was concerned, he was already waiting in the wings with what could only be described as an all-star legal team of civilian lawyers, ready to take on the role which otherwise would have been assigned to a court appointed lawyer. Tommy knew they were probably charging Brendan his first born for their services, and the fact that it was all coming out of his Sparta winnings only served to make him feel even worse.

That money was meant to ensure the stability of his wife and kids, not to pay a few hundred thousand dollars in legal fees to get his little brother out of whatever punishment he had coming to him. But his futile and unconvincing attempts at telling his older brother to back off only resulted in his being told to stop acting like a dumbass and swallow his damn pride, in those exact words. Brendan had a definite tenacity hidden somewhere in that gentle soul of his. He had proven that much in the ring. And it only came out when he was fighting hard for something he cared about.

There was a whole bunch of factors that the jury had to take in to consideration. The friendly fire which led to the death of his entire unit was something that certainly struck a chord. And once word on the incident reached the ears of the public, the press had an absolute field day. The general feeling was one of utter disdain, naturally, and it was covered on both local and national news.

Public opinion was of paramount importance to them winning the case. The eye of scrutiny was already on the US Military, what with everything going and their being on the news almost every day, showing the latest horrific developments and consequences of war.

Popular opinion was that Tommy Conlon was somewhat of a war hero after what he did for those marines, who would have otherwise drowned. Not everyone agreed of course, there were those who thought he was a disgrace, and to let him off Scott-free would be setting a precedent that it was okay to commit the most treacherous offence possible against your own country.

But thankfully these people were few and far between in comparison to those who thought he should walk away with nothing less than a pat on the back for his actions. Tommy himself was part of the minority who thought he was deserving of the longest sentence available, but nonetheless he was grateful to those who thought differently.

They discussed the intricacies of battlefield trauma and PTSD, even though it was a pretty well-known fact that PTSD, for the most part, was something military didn't _really_ believe in. But they threw everything they could at them, and well, the rest is history.

A medical discharge from the marine Corps plus five months of mandatory counselling. The words didn't quite ring true when they came out of the Judge's mouth. In the eyes of the law he was pardoned of his wrong-doings and given the golden opportunity of starting again. And while he accepted this opportunity with good grace, he didn't quite know what to do with it at first. It felt _undeserving _to him, it felt _wrong_. And this reprieve was something that both shamed and relieved him. After all, his unit would never get the chance he did. _Manny_ would never get the chance he did.

Brendan being Brendan insisted Tommy came and stayed with him in Philly to lick his wounds and sort out his shit. Tommy's financial situation was less than flush, and the possibility of him going to stay with Pop was such an unfeasible one that neither of them even bothered suggesting it.

He wasn't met with a whole lot of resistance, because in truth, after all that had transpired Tommy just wanted a place to rest his head that wasn't a cheap hotel room with paper thin walls where you could hear all the goings on of the room next door. And although he would never, ever admit it, there was a part of him that couldn't go back to being a lone wolf like he was after Manny's death, and he needed Brendan now more than ever.

Something had happened to the two brothers. The obstinate barrier that formed between them back when they were just teenagers, and only hardened as the years passed, was finally beginning to crumble, and the beginnings of an unspoken bond were starting to take it's place. Since the second Tommy tapped out in the ring, Brendan had been there for him wholly, 100%. And while they were still a long way away from the brotherly bond they used to share, the ice had been broken. And both men could breathe a sigh of relief knowing that.

The journey home was mostly filled with a comfortable silence between the two brothers, aside from a little idle chit-chat about Tess and the girls on Brendan's side. It almost embarrassed Tommy that he had two nieces that he had never met. Furthermore, Brendan told him they were actually _excited_ to meet him, and his feelings on that were neither here or nor there. He just hadn't figured it all out yet.

The situation with Tess was a different ball game entirely though. This was a woman he had learned to harbour nothing but hatred for over the years. He knew next to nothing about her except for the fact that she had cheated him out of his own big brother. But he tried hard to remind himself that it hadn't been just a case of childish puppy love. The fact her and Bren were married and had two kids was testament to that. He knew he had to try and let go of his childish analysis of the whole situation, but that was a far bigger task for another day, perhaps when his head was a little clearer.

It was just past 10.30 when the car came to a halt in front of Brendan's house, the traffic having been a nightmare. Brendan had done well for himself, a nice place in a suburban neighbourhood where all the houses were freshly painted and had neatly kept lawns. Tommy felt a shameful stab of jealousy upon seeing it all, and he guessed it probably wasn't the first time the green-eyed monster was going to make an appearance over the coming weeks. The house was just one of the things that Brendan had that he didn't.

''Uh, the girls will probably be asleep, but Tess might have stayed up, I'm not sure.''

This was it, and he couldn't ignore the nervous knot in the pit of his stomach. _No time like the present,_ he thought. They unbuckled their seatbelts and got out of the car, Tommy grabbing his khaki duffle bag with what little belongings he had from the back seat. Brendan was fumbling around in his pockets looking for his keys when the front door opened, and there stood the woman in question.

She was dressed down in a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms and a white tank. She was definitely slightly shorter than Tommy remembered, but then again the last time he saw her he was a spot-faced kid on the verge of puberty. Even with a face free of make-up she looked good, and Tommy couldn't help but notice the way her tank top clung to her tight body.

He immediately pushed the thoughts out of mind, feeling like a complete creep for checking out his brother's wife. It wasn't in that kind of way, and she wasn't really his type anyway, what with the blonde hair and all. It was simply a natural, primal reaction. And it was that primal part of his brain that demanded him to at least acknowledge the fact that she was a good-looking woman.

''Hey baby.'' Brendan said before pulling her in to an embrace before kissing her gently on the lips.

Tommy knew how much he must have missed her and the kids while they were in Washington, god knows he called them enough. And somehow it made it mean that much more that he had bothered to stay with him despite that.

''Hey.'' She said, hugging him tightly.

She turned her attention to her brother-in-law, who she had not spoken to in 14 years, and the brief silence hung heavily in the air before she spoke.

''It's nice to have you stay Tommy.'' Her tone was genuine, and Tommy reminded himself that she was probably just trying to make an effort for Brendan, and that he should do the same. He was after all, indebted to them both.

He had a flashback of the first time Bren ever brought her round to the house, and he had been practically sweating through his jumper over meeting the hot cheerleader from the year above him in school. But the manners Ma had made so sure to instil deep in to his brain were suddenly at the forefront of his psyche, and he politely extended his hand.

''Thanks for havin' me.''

She smiled at the gesture, taking his hand and shaking it firmly. ''Well, come in on then. You're probably hungry.''

Both men nodded in agreement, they hadn't eaten since lunchtime, and since all the training for Sparta, Tommy's stomach wasn't used to going so long without a good meal. They followed her in, Brendan taking his bag and putting it at the bottom of the stairs, before all three of them went in to the kitchen where the two brothers took a seat.

''Traffic bad then, Bren? You're back later than we thought you would be.'' The word _we_ rung in Tommy's ears, reminding him that there was still another two members of the Conlon clan he had yet to meet. She took two bowls out of the fridge with what looked like spaghetti bolgonese in them, putting one of them in the microwave.

''Yeah, an absolute nightmare actually.''

''Rose and Em wanted to stay up to say hi and everything but – '' she bit her lip and looked at Tommy. ''I wasn't sure if you would be tired.. Or if would even be in the mood to have the ear chewed off of you by the two of them.'' Brendan laughed. ''And it was getting kind of late so..''

''Don't matter.'' Tommy said. Meeting one Conlon was enough for one night.

''Oh and I forgot to ask.. You like spaghetti bolognese don't you? I remember your Mum making it once when I came over and I kind of just assum –'' She cut herself off mid-sentence, feeling like kneeing herself in the face for being so insensitive as to mention their Ma. If there was _one _topic that was strictly on the no-no list for their first conversation in 14 years, that would definitely, definitely be it.

''Oh God, I.. I'm so sorry I..''

Tommy's fists clenched and his stomach instinctively tightened with anger at the mention of their mother, an involuntary reaction he didn't have much control over. What did _she _know about Ma? She only met her two or three times back when they were kids.

Brendan watched as the tips of his wife's ears turned bright red. He could feel the atmosphere of the room take a nosedive, and the tension coming off Tommy in waves. ''Tess, It's okay –''

''No it's not okay Bren, I'm sorry – I'm such an idiot, I shouldn't have said that.'' She turned away from them both, and Brendan got up and walked over to her, where she was fumbling clumsily in the kitchen drawer, trying to find a matching knife and fork in the midst of all their mismatched cutlery.

''Really Tess, it's ok.'' He soothed.

Tommy watched as his sister-in-law's face turned from light pink to red, and he felt guilty. It was just a slip of the tongue, and one which she was clearly mentally kicking herself over. The last thing he wanted to do was come in to Brendan's home, and make him or anyone else feel uncomfortable, if for no reason other than it was plain bad manners. So he unclenched his fists and tried hard to swallow down his anger.

''Spaghetti is great, thanks.''

Both her and Brendan turned to look at him, Brendan with raised eyebrows and Tess with a relieved expression over the fact that maybe she hadn't completely put her foot in it.

''You don't have to eat it if you don't want to.'' She said, her voice thick with embarrassment.

With all the effort he could muster, Tommy cracked his lips in to reassuring half-smile. ''No really it's great, smells delicious.''

Tess' relaxed immediately, and everyone in the room could feel strain in the atmosphere seep away. It wasn't too long before the *PING!* of the microwave timer let them know that it was ready, and she took the hot bowl out with a towel, and brought it over placing it on the table in front of Tommy with a couple of knives and forks. And Tommy wasn't lying, it really _did_ smell delicious, so much so he felt himself start to salivate.

''Be careful, it's hot.'' She felt like face-palming herself once more, of _course _he knows the bowl is hot. It was such a _Mom_ thing to say. ''Well uh – I'm going to bed. You're room is all set up, Brendan can show you where everything is.''

''What about my food?'' Brendan said playfully.

''You know how to use the microwave, don't you babe?'' Brendan rolled his eyes and smiled, putting his food in to warm up. He walked over, planting a kiss on her lips.

''See you both tomorrow.''

''Uh – thanks again for all this. I 'preciate it.'' Tommy choked out. She gave him a smile and a shy nod before going up to her and Brendan's bedroom, leaving the two brothers alone in the kitchen.

_That wasn't so bad, _he thought. All things considered, his first encounter with a woman whom he hadn't seen in over a decade, and who he had not thought of too fondly over the years, had gone okay. He shoved a forkful of the spaghetti in to his mouth, and when the sweet tomato sauce hit his tongue, it was borderline orgasmic.

The last woman to give him a proper, home-cooked meal like this was probably Pilar, when her and Manny had him over for dinner one time. The memory stung as it came to the forefront of his mind. His throat became tight, and he wondered if this was how it would always feel every time he thought about his best friend.

The microwave timer went off once more, and Brendan joined him at the kitchen table, where both men sat and ate their food in silence. He couldn't help but smile when Tommy leaned against the back of his chair, with his hands on his stomach and an expression of sheer satisfaction on his face, after scraping the bowl clean. Tess was a damn good cook, he always said it.

''She's happy to have you here you know. She just doesn't know you, same as you don't know her.'' His sentence was loaded with meaning which wasn't lost on Tommy. In other words, it was a two-way street, which at some point both of them would have to cross if this arrangement was going to work.

He sighed. ''I think now's a good a time as any to tell you.. I sent some money to Manny's wife and kids.'' He inhaled

deeply, readying himself for the inevitably angst-filled reaction he was about to receive.

Tommy's eyes narrowed as he looked at his brother, the brother who was continually finding ways to take the weight off his shoulders and piss on his pride all at the same time. He felt the involuntary fury rise from the pit of his stomach once again, and he wished he had better control over his temper.

Brendan had sent money to Pilar, the money _he _had promised her, but in the end couldn't provide. He knew he should be thankful, and somewhere beneath the anger he felt he was, but he simply couldn't shake off the feeling of failure.

''You did what?''

''Before you start Tommy I want to make something very clear to you. As far as I'm concerned, that money... You're just entitled to it as I am - ''

''That's bullshit Bren – ''

''Let me finish.'' His tone was so full of conviction that it actually shut Tommy up long enough for him to get his words out. ''You're my brother. And I dunno how any of this is going to work out, I really don't.. But I _want _to help.''

Tommy felt his throat tighten so much he could barely choke out his words. ''You've helped enough Bren. I mean the money for the case.. An' now Pilar. You weren't fightin' in that ring just so you could bail me out.''

''It's not about the money Tommy, that doesn't matter to me.. Look, I'm under no illusion that we're going to prance around here, playing happy families.. And I _know_ that it might take some time.'' He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them again. ''But I _want _to try Tommy.''

It was a question and they both knew it. Brendan had laid it all out on the table, and Tommy could either take it or leave it. He had so many thoughts going on in his mind, so much he wanted to say but couldn't get from his brain to his mouth.

He wanted to tell him that _he_ wanted to try too. He wanted to tell him just how much it meant to him that he had stuck by him, to help him get through the last few weeks. He wanted to tell him that even though the pain and the anger was still there, he _forgave_ him.

But when the lump in his throat threatened to make any words that _did_ make it out of his mouth sound weak and pitiful, all he managed was a nod. And in a way, a nod was all the confirmation Brendan needed. It was the answer to his question.

The pair sat in comfortable silence for a while, something they hadn't done in a long time. It was interrupted by the sound of two pairs of feet pitter-pattering across the hallway and down the stairs. Brendan looked at the entrance from the hall to the kitchen with raised eyebrows, and when Tommy turned around he saw Rosie and Emily standing sheepishly in the doorway.

The younger of the two girls, Rosie - who was four years old - definitely had Tess' hair colouring, but it was arranged in a bouncy crown of curls around her head. Rather Emily, who just turned six a couple of months ago, had hair colouring closer to that of her Dad's. But both girls had timid smiles across their precious little faces, and were looking at Tommy with an unmistakeable curiosity.

Tommy being Tommy, he didn't particularly welcome being under scrutiny for long periods of time. Normally it irked him, but his young nieces staring didn't make him angry, they simply made him feel nervous. He tried to remind himself that they were just kids, and kids looked at everything as if it was a third nipple.

''You two are meant to be in bed.'' Brendan said, unimpressed, but with a small smirk pulling at the edge of his lips.

''We just wanted to say hi to Uncle Tommy.''

* * *

_**I should probably apologise for starting/restarting this story so many times it's borderline criminal.**_

_**I also don't know a whole lot about the US Military/court martial process etc, and I did a bit of research but I've taken inspiration from other Warrior writer stories on here for this chapter, especially Nik216's 'Been Drifting For So Long'!**_

_**I want to note that the circumstances under which Tommy is released, I'll admit probably aren't incredibly likely! I want my story to be as realistic as possible, but for fics sake I didn't want to send him to prison. So I hope you'll excuse this one blip on the radar.**_

_**Also, the ages of Rosie and Emily I got off a script on the internet of the movie.**_

_**Hope you enjoyed! x**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**April**_

_**Newark, NJ.**_

Lee Aherne stood outside the club with Karina Allen on a Friday night, her tweed duffle coat wrapped snugly around her, knees knocking, and her stomach twisted into a nervous knot. She looked at the flashing fluorescent sign above the entrance which read 'Moxxy's' in large purple letters, and listened to the taxi pull away. It wasn't the most upscale joint in the city, but they could have done a lot worse.

This was their last chance to opt out.

''You sure you don't want any more?'' Karina's familiar Boston accent rung in her ears.

She turned to her blonde-headed best friend who was quite a bit taller than her, standing at about 5'7 on a normal day when she wasn't in heels so high they would probably cause future podiatric problems. Her make-up was thick, her lips were a bright pink, and her skin was the kind of brown that could only be achieved from fake tan. Lee was so used to seeing her around the apartment slumming it in her pokey grey sweats and no-make up, that to her, she didn't _really_ look like Karina. Although she didn't feel much like herself either.

She looked down at the cheap-looking red nails she had glued on not a couple of hours before and she felt the urge to rip the damn things off. She could feel the immaculately done, heavy make-up that sat on the supple skin of her round face, and she wanted to take a wipe to the stuff. The clothes she was wearing that barely passed for a scrap of fabric, and all she wanted was to swap it for a pair of comfy trackies and a hoodie.

She let out a long sigh. ''No, you have it.''

She heard Karina chug the dregs of the plastic bottle that not half an hour ago was full of rum and coke, before chucking it in the bin. The night was chilly considering they were coming up to Summer, and she could see her own breaths in the cold air. Her breathing was erratic, and she hoped the drink would kick in sooner rather than later to soothe the very nerves she knew she would need to get a handle on if she was going to last the night.

It was simply another job. Another job to add to the three that Lee and Karina already had between them. Three jobs, and they were barely scraping the pesos together to cover the rent on their shitty two bedroom apartment and the bills that came hand in hand with it.

Since they auditioned for the club owner on Tuesday, to their standing outside the place right now ready – or not quite so ready – for their first proper shift, Lee had pretty much been running on autopilot. She now saw the world only in terms of dollar bills, or rather their lack thereof. If she thought about the whole thing too much, she would probably throw in the towel, and pulling out really wasn't an option. She told herself to treat it like any other job, because essentially that's all it was at the end of the day. A way to make some money. A means to an end.

Nate Brown bounced at the club four nights a week, sometimes more. He was a tall guy of about 6'3, with the well-built physique that you would expect of a stereotypical bouncer. He had closely cropped black hair, brown eyes, and a smile fit for a Colgate ad. His handsomeness certainly wasn't in question, and he had a strong hand that he could call upon for customers who thought it was funny to fuck about and cause a ruckus at the club. But above all, he was a genuine and straight up guy, and no one could say otherwise.

He also worked part-time at the hotel where Karina picked up a few shifts a week, and that's how the idea for the girls' latest money making endeavour first cropped up. The place was always looking for a bit of new blood to add to the core line-up of dancers, and almost any girl with a modicum of charisma and a pair of tits could walk in and try their hand at it, provided Kenneth approved of them.

Nate wasn't entirely happy when Karina informed him of the news, telling them he thought it was an absolutely fucking stupid idea, full stop. He was working there long enough to know all the goings on of the place, for better or for worse, and the idea of two of his best mates jumping on the bandwagon didn't sit that well with him.

He has seen the girls at the club at their worst and at their best, and their worst definitely isn't pretty. He has seen girls work to support their drug habits, and he has seen girls who formed drug habits _because_ of work. On the contrary, some girls don't touch the lot of it; fags, alcohol, drugs. For some, it's a damaging environment. And for others, they have absolutely no problem whatsoever staying grounded.

And while Nate knew Lee and Karina had enough nous between the two of them to keep themselves out of trouble, sometimes trouble comes sniffing you out regardless. He offered them loans, told them stories of innocent strippers turned crack whores, and actually made the place sound a whole lot worse than it actually was, all in an attempt to discourage them, to no avail.

They were in a financial fix. That was the bottom line.

It was difficult knowing that with a click of his fingers Vasilis could make all their money troubles go away. He was a veterinarian with a steady job and a more than satisfactory income. But as far as Lee's older brother was concerned, she was doing just fine. And her inherent, stubborn Greek genes which her mother had so kindly passed on to her meant her pride was not about to let him think otherwise.

So every time she met him or his fiancé Sarah for coffee, or went over to their well-kept apartment for dinner, she plastered a convincing smile on her face as if she didn't have the weight of the world on her shoulders, and talked about a whole bunch of bullshit plans she had for the future as if they were actually possible.

The only 'plan' she had going was that she had enrolled herself in an eight week photography course with some somewhat known Newark photographer. She had a natural eye for taking pictures, and for her 21st birthday Vasilis and Sarah had kindly gotten her a very snazzy piece of photo-capturing kit, in the form of a very expensive DLSR camera.

And while she appreciated the sentiment, and the gift turned out to be her most prized possession, it only helped to remind her that for Vasilis' last birthday, she bought him a measly sweater and a CD, because that's as far as the strings of her purse were willing to stretch.

It was a knee-jerk decision to sign up for the course, because it was one of those days where the snail pace at which her life was progressing was weighing on her mind like a tonne of bricks. And so she put her name on the list and paid the deposit in an attempt to make her feel as if she was doing _something _productive apart from slogging away at two part-time jobs.

Now three weeks in to it, she realised that the whole thing had been a waste of money. The guy turned out to be a boring old sod, and she wasn't getting any kind of experience or knowledge that she couldn't find on the likes of wikihow. Furthermore, at this rate she would probably have to sell a kidney to pay for the damn thing. And she couldn't help but be slightly impressed at how the world had somehow found another way to do her up that ass.

Before she left London a year ago, she paid off her student loans from university using the money she inherited from her father's passing. It seemed like such a waste now, seeing as she hadn't even completed her final year. She missed London more than she would like to admit, but every time she thought about the possibility of going back, she reminded herself there simply wasn't a whole lot for her to go back to, and it wouldn't be the same anyway, not without her Dad. Sure she had friends from school and uni, but her Mum had sold the house without even consulting herself or Vasilis before pissing off back to Greece.

Xenia – her mother - used the money from the sale plus the compensation money from the construction company they received for her Dad's accident to buy herself a nice place in Kefalonia. At the time, she called it a 'family investment'. But Lee called it squandering away the money that her Dad worked his ass off for, to buy a place to shack up with her Greek boyfriend.

There was of course the option of asking _her_ for money. But she wasn't about to give the woman the sweet taste of satisfaction of seeing her daughter fallen in a heap. Keeping up a front for her mother was as important as it was to keep up a front for Vasilis and Sarah. And as far as Lee was concerned, the woman was a disgrace to her father's memory.

So London was a no go. And besides, she was a twenty-five minute drive away from Vasilis, and about an hour and a half's drive away from Aunt Barbara in Philadelphia, and that woman was something spectacular all together. She was the type of woman who was at complete odds with her mother, and maybe that was why Lee admired her so much. Late forties, happily single, self-assured, _and _the editor-in-chief of the Philadelphia Feel Good magazine.

Not to mention she had taken on the role of Wonder woman after Michael's death, helping Lee with all the funeral arrangements and legal stuff that her mother seemed completely disinterested in tackling, as she pulled the whole 'woe is me' routine, when she hadn't really cared about the man anyway.

Bar was struggling with the loss of her brother too, but between herself and Lee they managed to give the man the send off he deserved, in the form of a good Irish funeral, essentially an all you can drink buffet, whilst exchanging hilarious anecdotes about the deceased, and listening to Mary Black even if you think her music is shite until Uncle John blacks out drunk and has to get his ass hauled up to bed by his wife.

Lee moved to Newark, New Jersey the same year of her father's death, where she stayed with Vasilis and Sarah for a few months before finding her own place. Her initial plans were to complete the final year of her nutritional sciences course in a university in Newark through an Erazmus programme with her uni back in London. But here she was at 24 with no qualifications to show for the hard work she put in to the first three years, up to her tits in bills, and working two shitty jobs, about to take on a third, even _more_ shitty job.

Such is life. Karina kept her sane, Karina kept her grounded, and Karina kept her from morphing in to a borderline bipolar ball of stress at the slightest mishap.

The first girl Lee rented out the other room in the apartment to was Janet Taper. A nice enough girl by all accounts, but when Lee started opening the door to people looking for drug money, it turned out good old Janet was fond of a bit more than a puff of weed and the odd line of something special on a Friday when she got paid. So after eight weeks of the stressful arrangement, Lee pulled the plug on that one.

As it turned out, the chances of finding a normal enough person who didn't turn the apartment in to a social hub for drug-addicts and small time crooks, who wanted to live in an area as shitty Lee lived in, were very slim. So when Karina came knocking it was like an angel descending from the sky in comparison to her former flatmate.

Born and raised in Boston, Karina moved to Newark at 25 when her relationship of five years with Harry Goddard, her then fiancé, dumped her ass. As it happened, he was a complete waster who was living off the royalties of _one _cheesy Christmas song his deceased Dad released in the 1980's. The song was actually 'Hey There Rudolph'. One of those tunes that you hear on the Christmas song set that plays on a loop in almost every store you go into from November onwards, so no wonder the guy could get by comfortably off the royalties.

She never went to college, and before she moved to Newark, she hadn't worked a day in her life since she quit her job as a cashier at Walmart when she was 20 and moved in with her new, financially stable boyfriend just 5 weeks after they met.

So, the next five years of her life were spent fucking about, living off a dead man's one hit wonder, and doing pretty much nothing productive that might get her some kind of experience or qualification, in the event that Harry Goddard suddenly decided he didn't want her anymore and she was out on her ass. And lone behold, that's exactly what happened.

And _her_ former flatmate Dennis Hayes was much like Janet Taper in the respect that the arrangement was far more trouble than it was worth. He was a small time pot dealer, but Karina wondered how the guy made any money at all, because he smoked most of it himself, as well as any other shit he could get his hands on. So the second she saw a room for rent – in an admittedly shitty part of the city – with Lee Aherne, a seemingly regular person, she was out the gap in a heartbeat.

And here they were, standing outside a mildly shady looking strip club, about to embark on their newest adventure to earn a crust, in a world that a week ago they would have thought so parallel to their own. But alas, it wasn't so parallel after all.

College students, young mothers, you name it, could all be found working in places like this, trying to make some money to pay for a student loan or the electricity bill. There was of course your junkies too, who just wanted to make enough to pay for their next hit. And then there's the girls who were just doing it because they thought it was fun. Lee was suddenly thankful for all the times she hadn't passed judgement on people who did this sort of thing for a living. At least she wasn't a hypocrite.

She could finally feel the alcohol acting as a balm to her nerves, and she tried to muster up a bit of spirit within herself. After all, the job is about confidence and little else. You could have the looks of a film star and not make even enough to cover your taxi fair if you didn't know how to play the game.

That was something that Kenneth Barns, the club owner made perfectly clear. He could sense the girl had a nervous disposition, even if she _could_ move as good as any girl he had working at the club already, and there was no doubt she was prettier than the lot of them put together, too. Her petite body would work wonders with the clients, but only if she learned to have the self-assurance – or at least _appear_ to have it – which was necessary for the job.

Karina on the other hand carried a bit of extra weight on her long-limbed body which suited her exceptionally, and there was no doubt her naturally confident disposition made her better suited for the job than Lee.

Kenneth was a normal sort of a fellow, with a wife at home and two young kids, and not even the slightest bit of a seedy look about him. But more importantly, he treated the club exactly like what it was in his eyes. A _business_. And as with any other business, he had rules and regulations in place to ensure the safety of his employees.

For starters, no sexual relations with clients. Moxxy's was not intended to be a brothel upon opening, and that rule was in place to try and keep it that way. That was a big no-no, and if you're caught getting down to it in the champagne room, you're out on your ass. Secondly, there's a zero tolerance policy for bringing drugs in to the club. If you get caught with drugs in your possession, you're out on your ass.

But as with all things, there are loopholes. Things are brushed under the carpet all the time and nobody pays mind to it. Drugs slip through the cracks like water, and the no-sex rule is broken on a regular basis. It's normally down to a dancer wanting to make a bit of extra money, and a bouncer who's willing to take a generous tip from a customer to look the other way and give them some privacy. On the other hand, just like the dancers, if a bouncer gets caught red-handed doing shit like this, he's out of a job.

A number of guys bounced on rotating shifts throughout the week, but Nate and a guy named Jeremy Dillon were head of a security. Nate, as is expected of a guy like him, was as straight as a ruler when it came to clients. No bullshit, no fuck ups, or you're out. But Jeremy had a reputation for taking a tip to let just about anything slide, and some of the things that happened right under his nose were scandalous.

But he was also an intimidating sort of guy, who used his large build very much to his advantage at every available opportunity. And while none of the employees there, be it the DJ - Shane Gilligan -, the other bouncers, or the bartenders particularly liked him, speaking out against him was a redundant and pointless exercise, because it was a pretty well known fact that he was in tight with Kenneth.

Despite all this, and it certainly being a job neither Karina or Lee would be queuing up for if the circumstances were different, there was opportunity for real earning if you played your cards right. And it was this, and this alone that stopped Lee from calling the taxi back, and retreating back to the safety and comfort of their shitty little apartment.

The hours are flexible, and you pretty much make your own schedule depending on what works for you. At least, that's how it worked at Moxxy's. You turn up when you want, for however long you want. After all, the club isn't _paying_ you to work there. $5 of every $20 dance you perform goes to the club, and at the end of the night you're expected to tip the DJ and the house mom – Amanda Vickery - a minimum of $5 each. So essentially, _you're_ paying the club in exchange for a safe place to work and make yourself some coin. Although 'safe', can have a very broad meaning.

And though Nate wasn't too happy with their decision to start working there, both girls knew he would be watching them like a hawk at every shift. And this, was a definite comfort to both of them.

The rum was performing it's designated task, and the ball of nerves in the pit of Lee's stomach had dissipated enough for her to get herself together. _There's no time like the present,_ she thought.

* * *

_**I have a friend from uni who actually bartends at a strip club a couple of times a week, and yesterday I had a very honest chat with her about it all, what it's like, funny things that have happened, if the stereotypical view people normally have is actually true etc. So stuff I use in this chapter/next chapter, some of it will be based off what she's told me!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**_WARNING: Okay so this chapter had a lot of drug use, and a lot of violence.. And swearing. You have been warned! _**

**_And if I need to say this (not sure if I do) I'm not encouraging recreational drug use or anything here. Also a bunch of the anecdotes in this chapter I got from my friend from uni who bartends in a strip club, and she was telling me about some funny/odd things that happen, as well as some awful things. So all of it is straight from the horses mouth!_**

**_I apologise for the lack of Tommy for the second chapter in a row, I promise I'll make up for it in the next one, but this is ALL really important OC stuff!_**

**_It's 3 o' clock in the morning here in London, and I have work at eight so I don't have time to fix this up and I really wanna get it out, so I'll fix it tomorrow! Please read and I'd really appreciate any reviews and feedback from people. Enjoy :)_**

* * *

**_July_**

**_Newark, NJ._**

The Saturday nightshift was without a doubt the busiest nine hours of business at the club every week. From 7pm to 4am the place was like a money honeypot. And busy meant an opportunity to make quick cash, and if you played your cards right you could be going home with a hefty sum in your pocket. Lee and Karina were always happy to work these shifts, because what they could earn on one Saturday night could take two, sometimes _three _weekday shifts, and the less they had to work at the place, the happier they both were.

But a busy club also meant more variety of men, for better or for worse. And to say you could encounter some characters was putting it lightly. Lee had deduced the clientele into three categories; the good, the bad, and the plain fucking creepy.

The good, consists of the guys who come in with cash to spend and no intention of causing a ruckus. They just want to have a good time, some entertainment, and to have their ego's stroked. If there is a dancer who really performs and has a few good tricks under her belt, these guys will be there until the place closes for the night, tipping like crazy. Hell, some of them come in and all they want is a drink and a chat to unload their shoulders of life's problems.

The bad, are the pimps. There are also drug dealers who double as pimps, they give girls samples of drugs, get them hooked, and then pimp them out for their habit. These guys are the shit on your shoe. The lowest of the low. Both Lee and Karina both possessed enough nous to stay well and truly away from them. And if they hadn't, Nate would have been all over those guys like a rash anyway.

And last but not least, the plain old creepers. They walk through the door and you feel it straight away, the desire to run screaming from the building as if it's on fire, although some of them were harmless enough. For example, a man came in one evening and offered Karina $50 to let him give her a foot rub. Karina, never one to pass up on an opportunity to make some easy money and a free foot massage, agreed, and it turned out the guy just had a bit of an odd foot fetish.

But some real oddballs would rock up too. Clients would often bring in items of clothing for girls to wear, like the time one man came in with a rather racy looking Mrs. Clause costume, and did a circuit of the club until he found a dancer who agreed to put it on. For a fee of course, although apart from anything else, the request seemed rather off-season at the time, seeing as it was July at the time.

* * *

The club was packed to the rafters with men of all ages, and all types too. Businessmen, uni boys, men who's wives were sitting at home twiddling their thumbs wondering why their husbands had been at the 'pub with their mates' for so long. There were a few women about the place too, some here _with_ their husbands, others with their male friends for a bit of a laugh. But the place still stank of sweat, stale smoke and men's aftershave. A combination that when mingled in the air it's enough to make you retch.

But with the warmth in the pit of her stomach and the buzz in her brain that could only be achieved with alcohol and amphetamines running through her veins, Lee didn't notice it so much. And she was glad of that, because even after almost four months of working at Moxxy's, it was still the very smell she detested. She still scrubbed her body red raw and washed her hair meticulously after every shift, no matter how late she got home, just to make sure it didn't linger, and to wash off the invisible filth she felt as if she was covered in from head to toe just from being _near _the place.

She knew that since she started working at Moxxy's she was drinking more than perhaps she should. But in truth, she needed a couple of gin and tonics to take the sting out of it all. Since her very first shift, she couldn't remember a single night where she had stayed completely sober, and now she was too afraid to go to work without a little bit of something in her system.

It was one of the attributes of the job. At Moxxy's you could drink as much as you pleased provided you could still do the job that you were there to do. The clients buy the dancers drinks and vice versa, and it's not surprising that half the girls on a shift at any given time are absolutely tanked. It softened the edges of the job Lee abhorred so much, but was a earning a good wedge because of.

The drugs were a more recent occurrence, and while her and Karina didn't rely on them to function like some of the other girls did, it certainly helped move their night along. It kept them wired and on their toes. And especially for Lee, it boosted her confidence, because speed can turn the most introverted individual into a gyrating John Travolta on the dance floor.

If Kenneth knew about it, which he must have unless he was a blind _and _deaf, he didn't mind because he never said a word about it. It wasn't as if either of them had the stuff at the club, and they certainly weren't avid drug users like Carmen or Mel. It was just a little something to help them get by.

But Carmen, now _she_ had gotten herself in to a right mess. She was a proper smackhead, and a prime example of a girl who came in and earned a few hundred dollars before sniffing out her dealer – or her dealer sniffed out _her _\- so she could empty her freshly refilled pockets on her next hit.

And for some reason she actually thought she was being inconspicuous about the whole thing, and that people didn't know she was shooting up in the club bathroom during her shift. All the girls knew, Nate knew, Jeremy knew, Shane knew. And the _second_ Kenneth got wind of it, she would be out on her ass faster than she could blink, and that was the sad truth of it. Her objective from the moment she got up in the morning was to make sure she had her fix, and she thought about little else until that desperate need was sated.

Addiction is a terrible thing, and Lee thanked whatever lucky stars she had that neither her or Karina hadn't fallen prey to it.

They kept one another on the straight and narrow. It's surprisingly difficult to keep your moral compass when a large proportion of the people around you have gleefully abandoned theirs. But they were there for one reason. _To make money._ They weren't there because they liked the job, in fact they absolutely_ detested_ it. And they were certainly weren't there to have fun. The lifestyle fit some girls, it came_ naturally_ to them. Lee just never felt that way, and she could never relax or feel even the slightest bit comfortable until she had a bit of liquor inside her, and even then it was still difficult.

* * *

It was almost 11pm when she came off stage after a three song set, her body hot and her skin clammy. Working the pole was a workout in itself, and she was thankful for the thick make-up that covered the flushed state of her cheeks. Lee's pole work was actually pretty good, and while she wasn't as good as Lily who was like a damn acrobat on the thing, she could do a mean Brass Monkey that always went over well.

She went over to the bar to get herself a drink, where Charlize stood talking to a client. Lee always liked Charlize, she was certainly one of the more amiable girls working at Moxxy's, who had greeted her with a genuine camaraderie when she first started working there, as oppose to the girls who looked at her as though she was the antichrist right from the word go, without knowing a stitch of information about her.

But she learned not to take it personally. After all, they _were_ in competition with one another for clients' attention, and more specifically, their money. And you could argue those girls were the smartest of them all, because it's a lot easier to steal someone's customer - and essentially the cash from their pocket – when you weren't their friend.

Lee looked around at the club where she spent her nights at three or four times a week, and let out a long sigh. Kenneth spent two weeks in June having the place redecorated, and while it was a vast improvement on the former filthy looking purple upholstery, the place still carried that shabby look about it. The new black leather seating and maroon colour scheme managed to make the place look as tacky as ever.

Kenneth would have been better off spending the money on a CCTV system for the champagne room and private booths like other clubs had. He was constantly banging on about 'illicit activities' going on in there, and girls getting away with murder. At least a camera in the room would have been the solution to his complaints, and more importantly, it would have shut him up.

''Hey darlin', how's it going tonight?'' The sound of the man in question's voice snapped Lee out of her trance, and he leaned in to plant a genial kiss on her cheek.

For the most part, Lee liked Kenneth. And he had taken an extreme liking to her and Karina too, mainly because they didn't fuck about the place. They didn't try to cream off the top, taking more than their due earnings like some of the other girls. They paid the club fee, and tipped the DJ and the house mom at the end of the night just like you're supposed to. No antics, no funny stuff, and they were two of his favourite girls because of it, even though they were still as considered two of the newer additions to the Moxxy's clan.

''It's going.'' She said, giving him an affable smile.

Kenneth knew that her and Karina were just here on a temporary basis, and the second they had a decent wedge saved, they would be out of the place faster than a speeding bullet. He didn't hold it against them, in fact he admired them for setting a goal, and not falling off the wagon on their way to achieving it like so many other girls did.

''I don't see Karina about tonight?'' He said, with an edge of curiosity in his voice. Lee and Karina almost _always _worked the same shifts, everyone knew that by now.

''Nah she's at home, got a dodgy throat infection or something. I practically had to drag her ass kicking and screaming to get her to the doctor yesterday.'' Lee laughed, Kenneth knew Karina had a dogged as hell personality.

''I bet that was a fucking laugh.'' His mouth cracked in to a full-fledged grin. ''Well, you tell her I said hello alright darlin'?''

Lee nodded. ''Will do.'' He gave her a wink before walking off.

She locked eyes with the bartender and motioned her over. ''Gin and tonic please Sandra.'' She said politely. ''Strong.'' She added.

The bartenders at the club made a good enough sum, all things considered. They often felt the effects of a customer who was feeling in a generous mood. The tips they could earn, especially on a Saturday, were nothing to be scoffed at. Plus, they didn't have to get their hands dirty.

Sandra worked a few shifts a week, and she was a nice enough girl by all accounts. But there was no denying she was the biggest gossip in a fifty mile radius, constantly armed with an arsenal of detailed accounts on the club's latest scandals, ready for anyone who would listen.

Lee surveyed the club while she was waiting for her drink. Alyssa was up on the stage now, three sheets to the wind, and Lee would put money on her not even getting to the end of her set. _Kenneth won't be happy about that one anyway_, she thought to herself, the girl was skating on thin ice as it was.

But then Lee saw something far more peculiar than Alyssa's drunken antics. Carmen and Jeremy were sitting in a small alcove-like seating area that's out of sight from the rest of the room unless you're standing at the bar, you can't even see the stage from it. There was a guy with them that Lee was _sure _she recognised. He had a short and stocky sort of build, and he sported a buzz cut and a cheap-looking navy suit. He looked so familiar to Lee, and it irked her that she couldn't put her finger on who he was.

Sandra placed her gin and tonic complete with ice and a slice of lemon on the bar in front of her, and Lee un-tucked a $5 bill from her garter and handed it to her.

''Keep the change.'' She took a lengthy swig of her drink which was strong just how she liked it, and she knew it was strong because of burning sensation in her throat as she swallowed the stuff down.

Sandra nodded gratefully back at her. It paid to be on good terms with the staff in this place, and tips were the way to just about everyone's heart at Moxxy's.

''Sandra, you see that guy sitting with Jeremy and Carmen? Far corner.'' She took another sip. ''You know who he is? I'm _sure _I recognise him.''

''Can't say I do. But if he's buddy-ing up with Jeremy I don't think I want to anyway.'' She said dryly, her words loaded with meaning.

It was no secret that Jeremy was involved with some of the more dodgy people that frequented the club, and he fancied himself as some sort of big man because of it. The guy was a bully, and there was no two ways about it. And if he wasn't so tight with Kenneth then everyone else at the club would have treated him like the scumbag he really was.

''_You_ don't know who he is? Well I guess there's no point in me asking anyone else then, huh?'' Lee said with a smirk, and Sandra rolled her eyes.

The man that Charlize was talking to polished off the end of his drink and politely excused himself from her, got his coat and left the club. She swivelled her bar stool round so that she was facing the two girls, with a big scowl on her face, feeling a smidgeon slighted by him.

''Losing your touch are you Char?'' Sandra teased.

''Whatever.'' She glowered at her. ''I got a sneak peak in his wallet when he was paying for his drink, he didn't have much on him anyway. What shit are you talkin' about now Sandra, huh?'' She said with a raised eyebrow.

''Lee was just wondering who that guy over there is, sitting with Carmen and Jeremy.'' Sandra said, nodding in the man's direction. ''God, that girl is looking worse every day.'' She said sadly.

Lee looked at Carmen with saddened eyes. Sandra was right. She was beginning to look more and more skeletal by the day, and even the thick make-up couldn't conceal the prominent purple bags under her eyes anymore. She was unfortunate enough to pick one of the most volatile drugs available to get hooked on, and her addiction showed on every inch of her.

She looked back at Charlize, who's eyes were now wide and her eyebrows knitted into a scowl. ''Shit.'' She mumbled. ''_That_, is Berney Stone.''

Both Lee and Sandra's jaws dropped. The face fit the name, and the revelation hit Lee like a tonne of bricks. ''Holy fuck it _is_ Berney Stone. What the fuck's he doing in here?'' she snapped. ''Nate made it pretty clear he wasn't to come back in after last month.''

''I have no idea..'' Charlize muttered. ''But Nate's on the door tonight.. He must have seen him?''

Lee's eye's followed the three of them as they stood up and cut through the crowd, before disappearing through the door that led to the VIP area, where the private booths and the champagne room were. She swallowed the rest of her drink in one hard gulp and slammed it down on the bar.

''No. Nate wouldn't have let him in. It's Jeremy I swear to god that slippery fucker.'' She said as she stood up from her barstool.

''Where you think you're going huh?'' Sandra said.

''Char go get Kenneth and Nate and tell them _that _prick is here, and he's in the VIP.''

''Tell him yourself – '' Lee was already walking away, not listening to her whatsoever. ''I don't thinks that's a good idea – '' The sound of Charlize's voice was swamped by the blaring music that Shane was playing. Whatever warning she was trying to heed her wouldn't have worked anyway, because Lee's blood was at boiling point.

* * *

Berney Stone. He was pretty much single-handedly responsible for Carmen being on the brown, and the biggest lowlife if Lee ever saw one. Carmen started at Moxxy's just a few weeks after Lee and Karina, and straight from the get-go you could see the girl was vulnerable. A sitting duck. It was a classic case of a drug pimp preying on some unguarded girl, and he had her on the smack and hooking on the side to maintain her new found habit before she knew it.

So the month prior Berney Stone walked in to Moxxy's with a smug grin on his face, thinking he was the dog's gonads. He looked rightly chuffed with himself as he asked around where Carmen was, who was in the dressing room. And when Nate saw him talking to Karina, he lost his reason and kicked him out. In truth, Lee wasn't even particularly surprised that Jeremy was fraternising with someone as scummy as Berney, because it only proved the point that he was a pathetic sod himself.

There was a door that led from the main area of the club in to a small lobby type area, which divvied up further in to three small private booths, and the champagne room, all with red curtained entrances.

Lee manoeuvred herself round tables of men, many of whom tried to grab her attention. Her breathing was erratic and her fists were clenched in to tight balls. She was nervous, even a little scared. Jeremy was a nasty fuck when the fancy took him, and doing something to irk him _or _Berney Stone for that matter, probably wasn't the brightest thing she could have done. But she was pissed off, and the alcohol in her blood helped to give her the Deutsch courage she needed.

When she walked through the door that led off from the main club and shut it behind her, the booming music became a little more drowned out, and the first thing she saw was Jeremy folding up a nice thick wad of dollar bills and stuffing them in to his pocket. She crossed the room, stopping short a few feet away from him. He looked straight at her, with the tell tale satisfaction of her seeing him put the money in his pocket all over his face, and a menacing grin.

She swallowed hard and glowered at him, trying to keep her composure intact, suddenly the small lobby felt incredibly cramped, and she was more anxious than ever about being alone with him. In retrospect, this had not been her greatest idea, but she was determined to follow through.

''Taking bribes from Berney Stone now huh? That's a new fucking low, ever for _you _Jeremy.'' Her tone dripped with a blatant bitterness that was impossible to miss, and the fact she was so incensed by Jeremy's latest escapade only seemed to make his grin wider, stretching from ear to ear.

''You shouldn't be getting involved in things that you don't know _shit_ about, _sweetheart_.'' He said it in a light-hearted and conversational tone, and he looked up and down her body slowly and methodically, making her feel uncomfortable like he knew she would.

The way he looked at her and called her 'sweetheart' raised goose bumps on her skin, and she tried to shrug off the uneasiness. ''You're fucking scum Jeremy.'' She said, her voice thick with disdain. ''That guy is _destroying _her, and you're _letting _him.''

He let out a low and mocking laugh and walked slowly towards her, and it took all the confidence she could muster not to finch at the closeness of his body to hers, and to stare him straight in the eyes. They were grey and cold and completely empty. She felt more insignificant than she ever had with his broad frame serving only to intimidate her, and not to make her feel safe like Nate did.

He took one hand and used it to lightly cup her chin, in a way that could have been interpreted as affectionate to a bystander, but she _knew _him, and his touch made her skin crawl in the most unpleasant way imaginable. ''This is _big boy_ business.'' he said lightly.

''So I suggest you take your pretty little ass back out in to the club – '' He used his other hand to tap her lightly on the nose with his index finger, as though he was talking to a child. '' - and _stay out of it_.''

She glanced passed his head, judging that the champagne room was roughly 15 feet from where she stood, and since that room would have garnered them the most privacy, Berney _had _to have Carmen in there.

Jeremy revolted her beyond description, and for all the acting she did with customers every night, what she did next was the performance of her life. She looked straight in to his cold grey eyes, forcing a seductive smile across her lips. She slowly raised her hands, placing them gently on the man's hard chest, and leaned in closer to him, close enough that she could smell his rancid breath that was scented with stale fags and lager.

''You're right Jeremy.'' Her voice was low and sultry. ''You certainly are a _big boy_.'' She said, gently taking hold on to the lapels of his shirt.

Jeremy knew she wouldn't go near him for a million dollars, because he had tried and failed to solicit her services many a time. But her sudden change of demeanour took him off guard long enough, and she kneed him in his manhood with as much force as she could rally. As he crumpled to the floor she made a beeline for the champagne room, her heart racing as she heard Jeremy's groans behind her, and when she ripped open the curtain her eyes widened, he felt a mixture of shock and absolute revulsion.

The first thing she noticed was that Berney Stone was pumping his hard, erect cock slowly, with his dress pants and boxers down around his ankles. This sight was repugnant enough all on it's own. He was every bit as vile as she thought he would be up close. But what really threatened to force the bile up her throat was the realisation that he was watching what Carmen was doing, and _getting off _on it. And it made her truly realise her wasn't such a nasty fucker, he was a sick one too.

She was sitting on the loveseat next to Berney, with a syringe in her hand filled with a brown substance, and it didn't take a mastermind to know what it was. The stuff was a life-destroyer, and it was the thing that had blighted Carmen's very existence. She held the syringe, poised to insert it in to her forearm, but her head snapped up when she heard the curtains being pulled back, and she looked at Lee like a deer caught in headlights.

Berney looked at Lee with his eyebrows raised with his hand still round his cock, and a suggestive expression on his face. But he soon sussed out her demeanour, and he knew this girl wasn't there to join the party, and as she marched towards them he let go of his cock and clumsily pulled his trousers up to cover himself.

But seeing the syringe in Carmen's hand was like waving a red rag in front of a bull, and Lee could feel fury pulsating through every cell in her body, her teeth clenched so hard her jaw ached.

''What are you doi –'' Lee snatched the syringe from Carmen's hand and threw it to the floor, before yanking her roughly up by her forearm off the loveseat.

''NO!'' she screeched, and tore herself away from Lee's grasp, stumbling to where the syringe lay on the ground. She picked it up, inspecting it for damage as if was the most precious thing in the world.

And as Lee looked at the sheer desperation on Carmen's face, and the need in her eyes, she had never in her life felt pity like it. ''Carmen, listen to me, please.'' She begged. ''Please, this prick is fucking with you,just come with me.''

Carmen clutched the syringe to her chest and looked between Lee and Berney frantically, eyes wide with fear. ''You d – don't understand..'' she stuttered. ''He loves me.''

Lee's heart slithered down to her feet at the girl's words. ''Carmen please – '' she was pleading desperately now. ''He's using you, he has you fucking guys on the side and pumping yourself full of that _shit.'_' She said, pointing to the poison Carmen had in her hands.

Carmen just stood there, shaking her head at Lee's words, willing them not to be true.

''Can't you see? He's just – '' before she could finish her sentence a hand with thick fingers entwined into her long mane, taking a firm hold and swinging her around as easily as if she was a ragdoll, before slamming her face first against the wall.

Carmen's screeching filled the room, and Lee didn't have any response time before her head was pounded into the wall again, and again, before she was turned roughly so she was facing _him_, facing _Jeremy._ He pinned her tiny body against the wall with his, with one hand clamped over her mouth, the other pinning her hands behind her back.

''You're one fucking_ bitch_ aren't you?'' he said, tightening his grasp around her wrists. ''Shut that cunt up will you Berney.'' He snapped, jerking his head in Karina's direction.

Carmen was hysterical, and she continued to shriek until Berney slapped her hard enough across the face to leave a red handprint, and her squeals were reduced to soft whimpers.

Lee could feel the dull throb that was already swimming through her head, and the metallic taste of her own blood filled her mouth. She could smell Jeremy's putrid breath once again before she dizzily opened her eyes to see his face was inches from hers. She tried desperately to squirm beneath the weight of his body, but he had her immobolized.

''God.. The amount of times I have thought about this.. I bet you have the sweetest little pussy I'll ever see, eh?'' He sneered at her with utter contempt, cruelty, and _want_ in his eyes.

And it was the want that scared Lee most. She could feel the unmistakeable bulge in his pants as he pressed himself hard against her. She tried hard to blink the tears away, to keep up a front of bravery, but she couldn't stop the moisture from escaping her eyes and trickling down her cheeks.

''All those times you've said no to me – '' he sniggered. He leant down so his chapped lips grazed against her ear. ''_Denied _me what I want – '' his words were broken by the feeling of Lee's teeth sinking into the flesh of his hand, and he ripped it away from her mouth immediately.

''NATE!'' She screamed desperately, knowing that with the pumping music no one would be able to hear her.

But the hand that was no longer over her mouth was balled up in to a fist, and he punched her full force in to the stomach, knocking the wind straight out of her.

He let go of her completely and inspected his hand to see she had actually punctured the 's knees buckled and she dropped to the floor, clutching her stomach. But before she had time to get any breath back in to her lungs, he began kicking her relentlessly for what felt like an age, until she lay face down on the ground, her entire body seized in such pain she could barely move.

''Nates gon – gon kill you.'' She croaked. Out of the corner of her eye, her vision blurred, she could see Carmen huddled helplessly on the loveseat, her eyes wide with horror. Berney sat alongside her, the picture of a calm and carefree man, watching her being beaten as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Jeremy laughed nastily, pulling a hankerchief from his pocket. ''No he aint'.'' He sneered. ''He won't hear your fucking screams.'' And with that, he shoved the hankerchief in to Lee's mouth, muffling her cries.

With one hand he took a fistful of her hair, whilst using the other hand to fumble with the button of his trousers. And when Lee heard the sound of the zipper she willed the ground to swallow her up right there and then, or for her to wake up in the warmth of her own bed, and it to all have been a nightmare. She was in agony, and all she could feel was the searing pain that seemed to reach every inch of her body.

She began to thrash her legs and arms with whatever remaining energy she had, in a last ditch effort to escape his grasp, to _resist_. But with his tight hold in her hair, he yanked her head up before slamming it against the floor several times, and she felt her last modicum of power seep from her body, her vision clouded with black patches.

He used his knee to force her legs apart, and his free hand to grab her centre through the sheer fabric of her panties, squeezing her to the point of pain. She closed her eyes tightly, and silently prayed to a God she didn't believe in for some kind of divine intervention.

And if there was a God, he answered her pleas. The crushing weight of Jeremy's body was no longer on her, and she sucked in a desperately needed breath of air deep in to her lungs.

''YOU SON OF A BITCH!''

She couldn't be sure, but she thought she heard three or four pairs of footsteps running in to the room. And the last thing he heard was Nate screaming so loud he could have burst a lung, and the sound of his knuckles beating Jeremy's skull in with such ferocity he resembled an animal.

And it relieved her when the pain faded and the world went black.

* * *

**_Please review! Any feedback is appreciate! x_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**I know this isn't the most crazy or eventful chapter ever, and that it's a bit of a slow burn beginning, but poor Tommy needs a chance to settle in. And there's just so much detail and information I want to make sure I get in!**_

**_Please leave reviews and let me know what you guys think, any feedback is appreciated! I'm not sure if anyone's particularly enjoying it or if it's worth me writing more. _**

* * *

**_November_**

**_Philadelphia, PA._**

Tommy was up and pounding the pavement by six thirty that Friday morning, just as the sun was beginning to rise, painting the sky a myriad of orange and peach tones. Ever since he was a kid, he hated how with winter came later mornings and early nights. His mother was a true believer in the phrase 'the early bird catches the worm', and just like Tommy, she had always been an early riser, and she never liked the shorter days that accompanied the onset of winter.

It suited Tommy that being in the Corps meant plenty of early starts. And although he was no longer_ in _the Corps, his body clock never seemed to let him sleep past eight thirty, and lie-ins were never his forte. On occasion his nightmares would wake him up too, sometimes it was Manny, with his body broken and bloodied. And sometimes it was Ma looking sickly and frail, just as she had done in her final days. But either way the memories were as vivid as if he was reliving them and he would wake up in the middle of the night sweating like a teenage boy going through puberty, and in desperate need of a cold shower. But the nightmares had been few and far between lately, and for that he was damn thankful.

There was a palpable winter chill around, but that he didn't mind so much because it served well in snapping his senses into focus in the early morning. And after a couple of miles his body was warm and he didn't notice the nip in the air so much anyway. Plus, if he went for his run any time after 7, he knew there would be at least a dozen peeping Toms peering out their windows at him as he jogged past their house. It was the one thing he didn't like about the neighbourhood Brendan lived in, everyone was a nosy fucking Parker.

He arrived back at the house having put 8 ½ miles under his feet, rather than 10 he was hoping for. The three month break from any kind of training had taken it's toll, and now three weeks back into a light regime he still wasn't quite up to his usual ten miles. But Dr. Harper's words rung in his ears, telling him to 'take it slow', the day she had cleared him to work on his shoulder again. But Tommy wasn't used to taking things slow, not when it came to training anyway. And damn had he missed hitting the gym and taking out a bit of pent-up frustration on a punching bag.

However he was smart enough to heed his physician's advice. And besides, the woman was scarier than her 5'3 frame would lead you to believe. He knew at this rate he certainly wouldn't be back in the cage until after Christmas, which was only seven weeks away. At the end of the day, he knew there was no point in pushing himself too hard just because he was an impatient bastard, if it meant doing permanent damage that might keep him out of the game once and for all.

* * *

While he was out everyone else had woken up, and he could hear the early morning commotion in the kitchen. The clattering of plates and bowls, the sizzling of the pan on the stove, and the sound of laughter coming from his two young nieces. The house always seemed to come to life when Rosie and Emily woke up, because it suddenly got a lot noisier, and a lot more chaotic. Tommy had been to war, and he had certainly _dealt _with chaos. But two kids running around the place like a couple of Irish setters was a completely different type of chaos, and although he still wasn't used to it quite yet, he was sure he liked it a hell of a lot more.

''For God's _sake_ Rosie!'' Tess shouted.

Tommy wondered if it was going to be one of 'those mornings', and if he should just avoid the breakfast party and head straight for the shower. Although the 'those mornings' in this house, were nothing like the 'those mornings' when him and Brendan were kids, because it normally just resulted in a few cross words, and never someone ending up as another person's punching bag.

He walked in to the kitchen to see she was still in her black silk pyjamas and sporting an almost impressively manic bed-head. She was scrubbing at her youngest daughter's polo with a sponge, because Rosie had just spilled orange juice on herself. The two girls were already dressed in their school uniforms, which consisted of a white polo and a navy plaid skirt. Rosie started elementary school in September, and just like Emily she was getting on well despite her teacher already dubbing her the 'class chatterbox', which came as a surprise to no one.

Brendan donned his usual shirt, suit jacket, and jeans combo that he wore for school, minus a tie, giving off the ever relaxed and 'cool' teacher vibe he always did. Tommy often thought if he had a teacher like him when _he _was in high school, he probably would have liked it a hell of a lot more than he did. Brendan hated ties, and Tess had tried – and failed – many a time to wrangle him into one for special occasions. Tommy didn't blame him, the things made him feel all choked up too.

At the beginning of the new school year, Brendan was pardoned of his suspension, and he was now back working full time. Tommy didn't understand why he would _want_ to go back to teaching a bunch of spot-faced teenagers physics five days a week if he didn't need to. The guy was financially set up for life, but it was clear to see he really _did _love his job, and he was damn good at it too.

''Why do they give them _white_ shirts anyway?'' Tess said crossly. ''They're _kids_, they're bound to get their clothes dirty.''

Brendan was marking a couple of class tests that he hadn't gotten around to the night before, and he just nodded in agreement. When Tess was in a bit of a mood, it was easier just to placate her, especially at this time in the morning.

She gave up on Rosie, having just made the stain bigger. ''You'll just have to change in to your other one after breakfast.'' She sighed and returned to the sizzling pan on the stove she was tending to before her youngest daughter decorated her uniform with OJ.

''Morning Tommy.'' She mumbled. Brendan looked up from the tests and gave him a nod and a 'hello' before busying himself once more.

''Uncle Tommy!'' Both girls squealed, and Tommy couldn't help but smile.

It was amazing the way a couple of kids could change the overall atmosphere of the room, he had learned that much. There were more occasions than he could count over the last few months where they served as tension quenchers, simply because they didn't realise there was any reason for there to be tension in the first place. Sometimes ignorance really _was _bliss.

He had been cajoled into watching The Aristocats more than once, and one Sunday afternoon he somehow ended up sitting around a pink plastic table designed for a six year old, and playing tea-party, which was as much of a mystery to Brendan as it was to him. For all the nerves he had felt over his new 'uncle' status, it turned out that Rosie and Emily were actually the easy part. And they were one of the few things, if not the _only _thing that could get him to crack a smile without even trying, even when they were chewing the damn ear off of him.

''You been annoyin' your Mum again?'' He said to Rosie, before planting a kiss on the top of both her and Emily's heads.

'You smell again, Uncle Tommy.'' Emily said matter-of-factly, wrinkling her nose.

''If you aint' careful I'm gonna hug you just like the other mornin'.'' He teased and pointed a warning finger at her, and Emily's eyes widened at the memory of last week when he entrapped her in a gross, sweaty hug, fresh after his run.

Brendan smiled to himself as he watched his brother. The first month or so the man was like a snail in his shell, impossible to coax out, carrying the weight of the world on his back and not willing to share it with anyone. He did chores, he kept the place clean, but you would have been hard-pressed to get a word out of him that wasn't 'thanks', or closer to an incoherent grunt. The last few weeks had brought about the biggest change in Tommy, and Brendan still revelled over the fact that he was here with them at all after everything that had happened.

''You're just on time.'' Tess said, sliding an egg-white and spinach omelette from the pan onto a plate.

''That for me?'' he asked.

''Of _course _it's for you.'' Emily said. ''Who else would eat something as yucky as _that_?'' she looked at the green and white concoction with horror.

Tommy could feel the tips of his ears starting to burn red, and he felt like a chump. He still found it strange when Tess did stuff like this for him. It wasn't like in the Corps where they _had _to make you food. And it wasn't like Pop making those plain grilled chicken breasts like he had done for dinner, because he was just making sure Tommy didn't botch his diet while he was training for Sparta. Tess did stuff like this because she _wanted _to, and the only other person who had ever really done that for him was Ma.

The first night he spent in Philadelphia, something as simple as the state of the room she had set up for him had managed to create a lump in his throat, even at a time when his feelings for his sister-in-law were still undecided, and leaning closer towards the negative end of the spectrum. The double bed was dressed with a brand new duvet cover and sheets, and the place had obviously been cleaned to within an inch of its life.

A neat stack of towels sat on the armchair in the corner of the room, and on top of them was a small bag full of travel size toiletries. She had even bought him razors, and not the cheap kind that not only removed the hair from your face, but half your skin too. And he couldn't help but feel like a bit of a pussy for getting choked up over some shaving foam and a hair gel that still remained untouched three months later. But it was the fact that she had gone the whole hog for someone she didn't really know, and possibly didn't even like that much, just to make them feel a little more at ease.

He cleared his throat. ''Uh – you didn't have to do that.''

''Well _you _didn't have to empty the dishwasher this morning.'' She said with a smile. ''Thanks for that by the way, I hate doing it.''

He knew she hated doing it, that's why hedid it most mornings because he was usually the first up, although he didn't think it made him deserving of a cooked breakfast. In his eyes, the_ least_ he could do was pull his weight around the house, seeing as he didn't have a job, and he wasn't exactly paying his own way. That was part of the reason he was so eager to start fighting again, he wanted to start earning a crust so he didn't feel like such a damn bottom feeder.

''I 'preciate it.'' He mumbled, and grabbed a mandarin from the fruit bowl and his omelette before taking his seat next to Brendan at the table, and Tess sat down with a bowl of cereal.

''You heading to Frank's today?'' Brendan asked.

Tommy nodded, stuffing a huge mouthful of omelette into his mouth. _God_, he thought. _She makes these things so much better than I do_.

''He still banging on about his 'special day'?'' he said with a smirk.

'''Special day''' Tommy snorted. ''I wouldn' be surprised if he withdrew my membership when I tell him I aint' goin'.''

Brendan laughed. ''It would almost be worth it.''

''We're going. All _three _of us.'' Tess said. ''You're thirty-one, don't you think it's a bit early for you to be turning in to an unsociable old man Bren? And what's your excuse Tommy?''

Frank was just about to turn the big 5-0, and he was throwing a bit of a get together for his 'special day' - as he called it - in his colossal house in Rose Lawn that Saturday. Both brothers had been trying to find a way to get out of it ever since he announced it a couple of weeks ago, but Tess was hell bent on all three of them going. Members of the MMA world who fancied themselves as fucking national spectacles would be there, rubbing one another's elbows and kissing each other's asses for most of the evening. And that was the very thing putting Brendan and Tommy off.

Plus, Tommy had only been training at Frank's gym for three weeks, and saying he _knew _the guy was a bit of a push. And he definitely didn't know him well enough to be rocking up to his birthday blowouts. Tess wanted to get him out of the house, she said he needed to 'socialize', and 'relax'. But Tommy didn't much fancy socializing and relaxing with a bunch of people who's heads were planted firmly up their own self-important assholes.

''I can mind the girls, save you fifty bucks on a babysitter.'' he suggested. _If worst comes to worst I can always pull a sicky and chill on the couch for the evening_, he thought.

''Already called her.'' Tess said, omitting a groan from both men. ''But unless you want to spent the evening with Sharon..'' she trailed off, with a smug grin on her face, knowing she had just played her trump card on the matter.

Sharon was a nineteen year old girl who lived four houses down, a nice girl by all accounts, and great with Rosie and Emily. But she freaked Tommy the fuck out, because she pretty much fan-girled over him whenever she saw him, to the extent that she seemed like the kind of person who could have a candlelit shrine in their basement or some shit. So the idea of spending the evening with a chick who seemed to have obsessive tendencies was not high up on Tommy's to do list.

''Besides – '' she said, swallowing a mouthful of cereal. ''You'll get to meet Frank's main squeeze.''

'Tommy just raised his eyebrows at her, scarpering down the last piece of the omelette which he had savaged in record time. He didn't particularly give a shit about Frank's new ball and chain.

''She's really lovely.'' She said defensively. ''She's the _editor_ of a magazine.'' She added.

Tess and Brendan had dinner with the pair a couple of weeks prior, and she had really taken a liking to Barbara Aherne, who was a country mile away from the type of woman Frank usually opted for. He had finally traded in the girls in their twenties with big tits and scrambled eggs for brains, for an intelligent, mature and interesting woman. And it wasn't as if she wasn't easy on the eyes, too.

''You've definitely got a crush on that woman Tess. Should I be worried?'' Brendan teased.

''Does Mommy have a crush on a girl like Miss Judith has a crush on Miss Dianne?'' Emily asked. Judith and Dianne were the lesbian couple who lived across the street, and Rosie looked at the three adults wondering what was so funny about her question that they were all trying to stifle back a laugh.

''No sweetheart, that's a little different.'' Brendan said.

''Ok!'' She chirped.

''Now that Frank's taken Tommy, if you're nice maybe he'll lend you one of those blow-up dolls he usually has on his arm.'' Tess said, getting a snigger out of Brendan.

''Yeah yeah.'' Tommy rolled his eyes and got up to put his plate in the dishwasher. ''Well that's _my_ cue.'' He mumbled, making a mental note to add 'Tess making jokes' to the long list of things he still wasn't quite used to around here.

His relationship with her had without a doubt been the major stress point of the last few months. But he knew it was more down to him being an awkward bastard than anything else. And credit where it's due, she had been willing to give him all the time he needed, because she understood that Tommy had pretty much been thrown into the proverbial deep end of the pool.

It annoyed him how she hung around like a bad smell for the first few weeks whenever he was with Rosie and Emily, as if he would transform into an enormous green monster with rage issues at any moment. But he understood it was plain old maternal instinct, and if he had been a bystander watching himself in the ring with Brendan that night, he probably would have felt protective around his kids too.

The night Tess and Brendan went for dinner with Frank and his new girlfriend, she asked him to mind the girls. That had definitely been a sort of a turning point, because while it seemed like such a small thing it was actually a pretty big step. And Tommy was damn pleased about it, up until the point where he had to use ice-cream as a bargaining chip to get them to go to bed.

Brendan stood up and scooped Rosie from her seat up into his arms. ''Come on sweetheart, let's go get that top changed, hey?'' A big grin spread across her face, and she leant in to plant a big wet kiss on her Dad's cheek.

Seeing Brendan and the way he looked at his wife and his kids every day, went some way to helping Tommy understand why he did what he did all those years ago. At the very least, it made him realise that it had never been as black and white as he thought. He had two of happiest kids Tommy had ever seen, and had created a home for them that was so unlike their own when they were young, that Tommy couldn't help but respect him for it.

Brendan had one the big prize; the wife, the kids, the house. And Tommy hated the stab of jealousy he felt when he thought about it. The way Brendan looked at Tess, the way he _felt _about her, Tommy was pretty sure he had never looked at or felt that way about a woman before, and it made him wonder if he even had it in him.

Sure, he loved women. He really, _really_, loved women. But he loved their tits and their ass, and what they could do with their mouth. He had never loved _a _woman.

Somewhere over the last few weeks, the line between guest and member of the family had started to blur. And while Tess and Brendan made it clear that Tommy had a place in their house for as long as he wanted, it wasn't _his _family. And as much as he loved his nieces, and he really _did_ love them, they weren't _his _kids. All of it belonged to Brendan, and for now Tommy was just happy to be a part of that.

But he couldn't seem to get the green-eyed monster off his fucking back, and he reminded himself to bring this up in his session this morning with Dr. Grillo. Tommy wouldn't have picked himself out as someone who would benefit from sitting in a shrinks office, and discussing his problems like a whiny little bitch. But after he swallowed his pride and started to open up a little, he realised that there was actually something to be said for it. And even just the chance to vent his spleen once a week to Dr. Grillo, who possessed a sympathetic but by no means patronizing ear, was helping more than he thought it would.

He went upstairs and hopped in the shower, washing himself with whatever shampoo and shower gel that was on hand. He planned on heading straight from his therapy session to the gym, so he threw on a pair of jersey shorts and a t-shirt, grabbed his gear bag and said good-bye to everyone, Rosie and Emily insisting on a hug before he left.

Things were definitely a million miles away from how he thought they would be just a few months ago. But then a lot had changed in the last few months.


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay so.. I'm sorry! I haven't updated this in about 8 or 9 months. In truth I completely forgot it existed until I rediscovered it last week while cleaning old files off my laptop.**

**I don't know if anyone is still keeping tabs on this! But if I get enough feedback I'll continue to update it. I'm finished uni for this year now, so I'll have a little more time to spare.**

* * *

Tommy pulled up outside the building of Dr. Grillo's office a little before nine. Since Brendan had treated himself to a new F150, the old Camry was for all intents and purposes his. And while he was glad of having a way of getting himself around that didn't involve asking Brendan or Tess to play taxi like a teenage kid, it was just another thing to add to the ever-expanding list of stuff he owed his big brother for.

Today would be the eleventh of his twenty-one mandatory therapy sessions that came part in parcel with his medical discharge from the Corps. He thought back to his very first session, the day Brendan dropped him off as if it was his first day of school. He was so nervous he was sweating through his pullover, and he had a ball of twisted nerves nestled deep in the pit of his stomach.

It was entirely new territory, and the thought of having some pretentious stranger with a fancy degree dissecting his mind – which was so fucked up it was practically a feat – was utterly nauseating. His view on the situation was very simple. As of yet, he had had little success in sorting the spectacular mess up there, so he especially didn't see the need for a second person to continue flogging that dead horse. But alas, these were the court's conditions of his release, and it sure as hell was better than being banged up in the brig.

As it happened, Dr. Grillo was a world away from the condescending and self-important man that Tommy had in his mind's eye. And much to his surprise, idle chit-chat and cryptic questions weren't on his new shrink's agenda. Dr. Grillo was a straight-talking and direct sort of guy, much like him. And if nothing else, Tommy could relate to him on that.

But despite being dealt with a good hand in the shrink department, the first few sessions felt like an utterly gruelling task of endurance, although Tommy's naturally dogged disposition certainly didn't serve to make it that much easier for either party.

At first he looked at it all as just a way to shut the court up, something he would just have to get through. _Endure_. But in time he realised he had grossly underestimated the value of getting the monster off your back, and actually _talking_. They talked about Ma and Pop, they talked about Brendan, they talked about Manny and Iraq. And while Dr. Grillo didn't have a magic wand to fix his problems, he sure as hell was helping him make some sort of headway towards unravelling them.

But that wasn't to say things were 100%. Tommy didn't know if things would _ever _be 100%. The whole situation with Pop was like a pile of shit in the corner of the room, and it sure as hell wasn't something he wanted to deal with – or _could _deal with – right now.

The weary looking red brick exterior of the building was certainly a contrast to the brightly lit, white walled office inside. It was the kind of place with lots of art hanging on the walls and soft sofa seating in the waiting room. The place was empty except for himself and Colette, the receptionist manning the desk as usual, who was a pleasant woman by all accounts. She must have been coming up to sixty, the tell-tale signs of age plain to see. The prominent grey hairs sprouting at the crown of her head, and the deep-set wrinkles around her eyes and mouth were only accentuated by her heavy make-up.

''Morning Tommy.'' She said with the warm smile he hadn't once seen her without. ''Dr. Grillo will be ready in a couple of minutes, just take a seat.''

He tried to envision her thirty years younger, her greying hair was probably once a rich chocolate, and her thinning lips once full and plump. He liked that in his girls, and he decided that she was probably a looker in her heyday, his mind beginning to wander towards what the sight was like under her peach blouse. He felt like a toss-up between a perv and a dickhead for creeping on a woman old enough to be his mother, so he shook the shameful thoughts away, politely nodded and took a seat, hoping to god he she hadn't caught him stealing a cheeky glance.

That wasn't to say he couldn't _appreciate _a woman's looks, because damn could he appreciate a woman's looks. And lately it was his cock doing the appreciating, vying for control over his brain. And something as simple as a second's glance at a nice arse in a pair of yoga pants seemed to cause his dick to spring to attention.

Since moving to Philadelphia, he'd only gotten laid once. Which wasn't so bad considering one could be zero, and he didn't really have anything even close to resembling a social life. The zealous and slightly over confident waitress from the sandwich bar a few blocks over from Frank's gym had pretty much offered herself up to him on a plate. And when you can't even remember the last time you had sex – or at least the last time you were _sober _enough to remember – who are you to say no to a sweet arse and a nice head of auburn hair?

But when she asked him for his number he made a rookie mistake, and two weeks later his phone was still being bombarded by texts with shameless sexual innuendos and pictures which didn't leave much to the imagination. And he thought to himself how lucky she was that he wasn't the kind of guy to go flashing that shit round to his mates. That was of course, if he actually _had _any 'mates' to start with.

Somewhere in the 'guy' part of his brain, he knew he should be chuffed that a good-looking chick was all over him like a rash, who's panties would drop at a click of his fingers. But in truth, she interested him about as much as math class had done back in school. So the result of his little afternoon escapade was really just a bit of sexual release, and him having to find a new place to get a decent sambo.

He thought it was pretty pathetic considering he had sometimes gone months in between a good ride while he was in the Corp, without even pondering it that much. And it was only now that he was bored out of his tree half the time that his cock decided to spring to attention at the slightest damn thing. It was just another reason for getting back into training, it was serving as a welcome distraction.

The door to Dr. Grillo's office cracked open, and Tommy was reminded once again that one thing was for sure, his psychotherapist's Italian genes were alive and well. You only had to look at his olive skin and thick head of dark brown hair – that was only just beginning to grey at the age of 54 – to see that. The guy looked like something plucked straight out of the Godfather.

''Come on in Tommy.''

* * *

He arrived at the gym just before eleven, the sound of Beethoven ringing through the speakers, where a lot of the regulars were already sparring or pummelling punching bags. He had to hand it to Frank, his gym was home to a bunch of hardworking fighters – and high profile ones too – and it didn't seem to breed the self-important and egotistical type as much, such as the Mad Dogs of this world.

The same as everything else in his life, Tommy was still getting used to the place, which was a country mile away from Colt Boyd's dingy little shitbox of a gym. For starters, the equipment was state of the art and well kept, not like half of the bags at Colt's which were torn at the seams. Frank's was bright with natural light pouring in the windows, whereas Colt's had about half a dozen bust lightbulbs that no one bothered to fix. And Tommy couldn't help but feel as though someone like him didn't fit in somewhere so shiny and squeaky clean.

He was popping his gear bag into his locker when Frank approached him, wearing one of his usual fitted tees with 'Soul of a Lion' printed on the back. It was hard to believe Campana was turning fifty the very next day. He was in impeccable shape, and he sure as hell hadn't run to fat like a lot of ex-fighters. And in his head of black hair, there was barely a grey strand. Although Tommy had a hunch that that was more down to a bottle of hair dye than good genes.

''Hey brotha, how's things going?''

''They're goin'.'' Tommy mumbled.

Frank wore his normal enthusiastic smile, that just a month or so ago Tommy would have dubbed him a smarmy prick for having plastered on to his face. But although he would be hard-pressed to admit it, Tommy was starting to actually _like _the guy a little.

Tommy wasn't ignorant to the fact that Campana was dubious – to say the least – about taking him on. The two men were seemingly a world away from one another, and Tommy's relentless and impatient displays in the ring certainly didn't fit into the scheme of Frank's training style. And while Brendan continued to deny his part in getting his brother a membership at the place, Tommy it must have taken a bit of convincing.

Beethoven or not, Frank Campana knew what he was doing.

''Good, good. You have time for a quick chat?''

''Uh, sure.'' Tommy looked at him with a loaded brown, and Frank led him towards the small office just off the main floor and shut the door behind them.

''So, you how you feeling?''

''Uh, okay. Shoulder's good.. Not havin' any pain or nothin'.. Almost back up to ten miles in the mornin's, an' been watchin' what I eat too.''

''Ok good, good. And the weights regime? No trouble there?''

I small smile pulled at the corner of Tommy's lifts. The regime Frank had him on would have been insultingly simple if Tommy didn't appreciate the fact that he really _did _need to take things slow. ''Nothin', it's cinch, think I'd be good to get into the sparring rotations.''

''Sorry Tommy, I love the enthusiasm – ''

'Enthusiasm' – Tommy resisted the urge to snort out loud.

''But I want to hold off on the sparring for a while. Maybe we can put you in a little before Christmas.''

An involuntary scowl spread across Tommy's face. He knew things would be slow, and that fighting was pretty much off the agenda till at least February. But it was still disappointing. At least he wasn't Marco Santos, the poor guy wouldn't be back for another three weeks, and that was _if _his doctor cleared him to train after that nasty break.

''I'm sorry brotha', I know things are slow but I promise after Christmas it'll be guns blazing.'' Tommy tried to wipe the petulance from his face, it wasn't the guy's fault after all.

Just then the door to Frank's office flew open, followed by the clatter of heels. ''Hey babe, I got you some – Oh - I'm sorry, I should have knocked.''

The accent wasn't one of the many American variations Tommy was used to hearing. He craned his head round to see a woman with sleek red hair and a handbag as big as her head on her arm, with two brown paper bags in the other. She was wearing a pair of tailored suit pants with a white blouse, teamed with a pair of Louboutin's. She was tall, with a couple of inches on Frank in her shoes, and sported a very trim figure. Her face gave away her age, although the faint wrinkles that creased her forehead and around her mouth didn't at all take away from her beauty. Her eyes were bright blue, and her lips plump. She had the look of a woman who was all business.

''Hey babe.'' Tommy looked away from the woman just long enough to see the huge grin that spread across Frank's face. He got stood up and crossed the room to the red-haired woman, who looked equally as happy to see him as he was to see her. _Ah_, Tommy thought, _the 'editor'_.

Frank pulled her gently towards him by the waist, and planted an eager kiss on her lips to which she enthusiastically returned. With his arms still around her he turned to Tommy.

''Tommy, this is Barbara.'' His face was bursting with pride, pride which Tommy completely understood, because his woman was a knockout.

She politely extended her hand and smiled at him warmly. ''Nice to meet you Tommy. Brendan's brother, right?''

_'Brendan's brother'_. It was like a flash back to their school day where he always been 'Brendan's brother'. 'Brendan', the guy everyone loved. Tommy felt the rise of jealousy bubbling under his skin, and wondered to himself if his childish envy would ever truly subside.

''Right.'' He mumbled. ''Nice to meet 'chu too.'' He extended his own hand and she smiled wide in return, displaying a sparkling set of teeth, her huge grin accentuating the wrinkles around her eyes. Her fingers were slender and bony in his, but she shook his hand with firmness and warmth.

Silence hung in the hair, and once again Tommy was reminded of the fact that when it came to small talk, he was truly and utterly useless.

''You two are coming tomorrow, right? And Tess too?'' Barbara chirped.

Tommy blinked dumbly. ''Uh – tomorrow?''

''Frank's 50th.'' She added, with an expectant look.

_Goddammit, _he thought to himself_. No gettin' out of it now. _''Yeh. Sure.''

''Fantastic!'' She beamed.

In the next five minutes Tommy learned that it didn't matter much that he couldn't contribute much in the way of chit-chat, because Barbara certainly had a motor mouth. She managed to provide him with a synopsised version of tomorrow's events from start to finish, and Tommy nodded with all the faned interest he could muster.

Upon spotting an opportunistic interval in the conversation, he cleared his throat. ''Well uh – I better get back to it.''

''Alright Tommy, you be here in the morning for an early session?'' Frank asked.

''That's the plan.''

''Great, see you then.''

Tommy grunted in response, and with a polite nod to Barbara, exited Frank's office.

The weekend ahead looked gruelling, and even _Tommy _knew that taking a rain-check on tomorrow evening would be the height of rudeness. Campana had granted him an opportunity, and the least he could do was show up to his damn birthday party.

* * *

**_Saturday_**

The obnoxious alarm of Lee's iPhone 5 woke her up that Saturday morning. She let out a groan as she fumbled around on her bedside table, looking for her phone, and opened a bleary eye to swiped her finger across the screen to shut the noisy damn thing up. She had never been a technology fanatic, and she was still figuring out how to work the thing, which Vasilis and Sarah bought for her as a sort of departure gift when she left Newark almost 10 weeks ago. In her opinion it was a pretty overpriced 'departure' gift, but Vasilis insisted he replace her old Nokia brick. _Ten weeks_, she thought. It had been ten weeks since she upped and left.

Through blurred vision she looked at her phone, the screen reading 8am, omitting another groan from her. It was a _Saturday _for fuck's sake. Saturday was sleep in day, not 'get up and get your ass to the gym to meet Aunt Barbara for eight-thirty' day. They went every Saturday, although normally she didn't have to get up quite this early. But seeing as Barbara would be spending the whole day at her newest gentleman caller's house, undoubtedly driving everyone to distraction with her barking of orders whilst simultaneously organising Frank's birthday bash to perfection, she insisted they make this morning an early one.

The mere _thought _of this evening gave her a headache. Maybe, just _maybe, _it wouldn't be quite as horrific as she thought. Or, it will be just as horrific, if not _worse, _which if Aunt Barbara spent the evening getting her to 'mingle' it would be. Her only save and grace was that Bailey from the office would be there too. Although she wasn't entirely sure where a man as camp as a line of tents would fit in at a party chock full with MMA fighters and enthusiasts.

And while Lee had an arsenal of excuses up her sleeve, she knew any attempt at using them would be utterly useless. Her aunt would be round to her flat to drag Lee there herself, just like she would do if she didn't get her arse swiftly to the gym.

It took all the willpower she could muster to drag her ass from the cosy confines of her duvet as she groggily stumbled out of bed. She padded in to the kitchen, which since her moving to Philadelphia was still home to a dozen or so unopened boxes that she had yet to sort through. And she wondered to herself for the hundredth time this week how she had managed to accrue so much crap at just twenty-four years old.

But apart from some boxes and general untidiness, she had to admit the place looked damn good. With Barbara's help she had given the walls a fresh lick of brilliant white paint, and scrubbed every surface to within an inch of it's life. The bed sheets and curtains were all brand new, and she had bought an enormous grey corner couch that was on sale in the furniture place down the street, which had proven to be a colossal pain in the ass to get into the apartment.

She had Frank Campana's strong helping hand to thank for them getting it up two flights of stairs _at all_. The man was Aunt Barbara's latest piece of arm candy, and a gentleman if Lee ever saw one. The pair had been dating since August, where they met at a mutual friends wedding. And seeing as Barbara was never normally dating somebody long enough for Lee to even _meet _them, she took the fact they had lasted this long as a good sign.

Barbara had roped him into helping with some of the heavy lifting when it came to Lee moving into her new place, even though she insisted it wasn't necessary, and she was actually embarrassed knowing her little one-bedroom apartment probably looked like a shitbox next to Frank's monster house in Rose Lawn. She liked the guy, and the fact he had managed to pin down her independent and capricious aunt had to count for something. And of course, brownie points were awarded for the fact that he just turned fifty _today_ and he still had a body worthy of a CK advert.

She scoffed down a bowl of fruit and Greek yoghurt in addition to her mandatory morning coffee before going back into her went bedroom to get dressed. She took off one of the many men's t-shirts that she wore to bed and her pyjama shorts, and stood half naked in front of the full length mirror.

She looked at her small feet, which she had always liked, even though it was an odd thing to like about herself. She had been blessed with slender legs, wider hips, a good full ass, and ample curves in all the right places. She had her mother to thank for that. Her waist and arms were always slim and her shoulders narrow, even when she carried some extra weight back in uni. On the curve of her right shoulder was a brown birth mark the size of a small pea, and her hands were small, topped with short and neatly cut nails.

She hadn't inherited her mother's olive Greek skin tone like Vasilis, but rather her father's pale Irish hue. But her skin was soft, creamy, and virtually flawless. She was lucky that way. She had however acquired her mother's well shaped eyebrows and silky, dark brown hair, which fell to her back. Her lips were full and her cheekbones high, but by far her best feature was her crystalline blue eyes. Large and round, they were framed by thick black lashes that fluttered when she blinked. By no means did she have a button nose, but it fitted in to the scheme of her round face perfectly.

But even in the midst of all this obvious beauty, she always concentrated on the negatives. She put too much focus on the pale purple patches under her eyes, which could easily be rid of with a good night's sleep. She had never liked the very faint spattering of miniscule freckles along her nose.

She let out a sigh at her bedraggled appearance. She was up till the wee hours of the night before, enjoying a long overdue chat with the best friend that she missed so much. The day that Lee packed up her stuff into the boot of her rickety old Ford, a colossal amount of tears had been shed. It was silly really, considering she would only be a little over an hour away. Lee had only known Karina for the best part of a year, and she had still somehow managed to become one of the most important – if not _the _most important – person in her life. And to say she missed her terribly would have been an understatement.

Lee arrived bang on eight thirty, and a Saturday morning meant a near empty gym. She went into the locker room where she spotted Barbara sitting on the bench tapping away on her phone, sporting her usual trendy and form-fitting workout gear. Lee almost laughed when she compared it to the pokey old sweatpants and faded t-shirt that she was wearing.

''Careful not to break a sweat Bar.'' She muttered sarcastically.

Barbara looked up from her screen and seemed genuinely happy to see her niece. ''I didn't think you'd make it. This'll have to be a quick one, I need to be at Frank's for ten.''

Lee propped her foot up on the bench to tie her shoelace. ''It doesn't start till _six _Bar.''

''It needs to be perfect Lee. The devil is – ''

''In the detail, I know.'' Lee chuckled, drawing a frown from her aunt.

Aunt Barbara, the living embodiment of the word 'perfectionist'. It was evident in the way she presented herself, and each and every one of her actions. Lee found it to be both infuriating and endearing, admirable and ridiculous. It was what made her so fantastic at her job, and utterly irreplaceable. And truthfully, Lee found it simply charming that Barbara had put so much effort in to Frank's birthday, even though they had only known one another for a very short – yet very intensive – time. But that's just how Aunt Barbara was. If you had her, you had her in her entirety. And Lee was very much the same kind of person.

They began their session with a 20 minute warm-up on the elliptical, before moving on to a HIIT circuit routine. No matter how hard Lee tried, she couldn't keep up with Barbara. She had only really got back to the gym in the last few weeks, and she was still lagging behind her fit-as-a-fiddle aunt. They paused for a water break jut as Barbara piped up.

''So – '' she began between panted breaths. ''Picked out what you're wearing for tonight?''

''Nope.'' Lee muttered.

Barbara frowned. ''Well, do you have any idea? You have to look nice.''

Lee groaned inwardly. She knew just the direction her aunt intended to take this conversation. ''I was thinking maybe – I dunno – a black plastic bag?''

Barbara rolled her eyes. ''There's harm in making some _effort_, Lee. And you never know, someone might catch your eye and take your fancy. And you'll be kicking yourself then when you look like you've just stepped out of charity shop.''

''I doubt it.'' Lee replied flatly.

''When's the last time you got laid anyway, huh?''

It always took her off guard when her aunt started banging on about stuff like this. In fact, she was more of an elder sister than an aunt. Lee didn't even dignify her with a response.

''Fine then. We'll finish up this set, shower, and then we're going shopping. There's a lovely little boutique on – ''

''I'm perfectly capable of _dressing _myself.'' Lee spat. She knew she was acting childish now. But the truth was Barbara had simply hit a nerve. When _was _the last time she got laid? ''I don't even _want_ to go – so I don't see why -''

''You're _going_. I _need _you to go, and I'd appreciate a bit of moral support.'' Barbara spat back. ''And furthermore, you couldn't possibly spend any _more_ time sitting in your flat like a hermit, even if you wanted to. So the least you could do is come out and socialise for one evening. For _me_.''

Barbara's tone was biting and final, and Lee decided to shut up. Beneath her childishness, she actually appreciated the fact that Bar and Karina were the only people who continued to treat her like a normal person after everything that happened. They weren't afraid to grind her gears and tell her off – unlike her brother and Nate, and everyone else for that matter - who treated her as though she was fine China, liable to break at any moment.

The whole situation had been a complete mess. It was a myriad of mortifying, emotionally tormenting, and complicated – among other things. _Normality. That_ was what she needed. And what could possibly be _more_ normal than her unrelenting aunt barking orders at her?

Lee took in a deep breath, and resigned herself to the fact that today would be a very long day. And the best thing she could do was suck it up.

''Sorry.'' She mumbled under breath.

''I know.'' Her aunt replied.


	6. Chapter 6

**Here is Chapter 6! We have first contact! It's not that long, but I wanted to the events of the part to have its own chapter, so I had to break it up. Please let me know if you're reading and what you think! :)**

* * *

Lee stared at herself in the mirror of the changing room stall. It was the fifth dress she had tried on in the little boutique, a small shop squirmed away like a hidden treasure on a side street she had never even been down. It was a cap-sleeved, crimson, form-fitting dress with a daring v-neckline, which fell a couple of inches above her knee. It flattered her in all the right places, but still, she frowned at her reflection, wondering why her aunt couldn't select dresses for her that sported a little more modesty.

''Well?'' Barbara called from outside the stall. She pulled back the curtain and surveyed her niece with a satisfied look. ''That's the one!'' she squeaked. ''What, you don't like it?''

Lee bit her lip. ''Well.. It's a bit on the skimpy side, don't you think?''

Barbara rolled her eyes. ''Considering you to danced on a pole in a bra and panties for six months, there's no point in you being bashful about what you wear in public now.''

Lee's jaw dropped at her aunt's quip, but she couldn't help the little giggle that escaped her. She was glad of the fact that her aunt treated much of what had happened in the last year as something to gag about, and not a big fat elephant in the room. If Vasilis heard the way their aunt banged on about the whole thing, he would have scolded them both. His sense of humor never was quite as liberal as his little sister's, and he definitely had the stiff upper lip of the family.

''It's nice, I guess.'' Lee admitted. She took a glance at the price tag and her eyes widened. $185. Since she has been old enough to buy her own sweets from the store, Lee had been as frugal as they come, and spending over $100 on a plain red dress was unthinkable to her.

''Don't look at that.'' Barbara said, lightly slapping her niece's hand away. ''My treat.''

''Bar - ''

''No complaining, not today. Please.'' She said. ''I appreciate the effort you're making for today. And without getting cheesy about it, I just want you to know that.''

The subtle sentiment made Lee smile. Because beneath the sarcastic pretense which mirrored her own, Lee knew her aunt understood about as well as anyone ever could.

''Now get changed and pass out the dress.'' Barbara said, checking her watch. ''I should've been at Frank's twenty minutes ago.''

* * *

Tommy couldn't even remember the last time he had been to a party. It was quarter to five, and he was running late. It irked him because his punctuality was normally impeccable, a lasting side-effect of being in the Corps. His session at the gym had run a little over schedule, and when he arrived home Tess and Brendan were going out the door, and Sharon – the babysitter- had arrived.

He buttoned up his shirt and gazed hopelessly at his hair in the mirror, and decided to massage in a small amount of gel in an effort to spruce it up a little. After five minutes of pointless fiddling, he resolved that it didn't really matter how his hair looked. He planned to spend as little time as possible at this thing.

He opted for 'smart-casual', as Tess would call it. Although truth be told, he didn't know a whole lot about dressing 'smart-casual', 'smart', or otherwise, so he let Tess pick out a smart but unassuming outfit for the evening. A pair of well-fitting dark-wash denims, accompanied by a black shirt and dress shoes. After all, to be unassuming was his number one goal for this evening. In, out, and nobody gets hurt. He intended on blending in to the back round as much as possible, to avoid being hounded with questions about Sparta, and to avoid 'chit-chat' in general. After all, he hadn't exactly been granted the gift of the gab.

He grabbed a light jacket and headed down stairs and in to the living room where Rosie and Emily were watching a film with Sharon. The girls seemed as engrossed as ever in Barbie: A Fairy Secret, despite having seen it half a dozen times. Although there was no disputing Tess and Brendan's fantastic parental skills, it was a mystery to Tommy as to why they let the girls watch that crap.

But the sight of their spruced up uncle managed to take hold of their attention, as they both looked at him with quizzical expressions. They were so used to seeing him in sweatpants and a tee, that even the sight of him in a pair of jeans appeared out of the ordinary.

''I'm headin' off.'' he said. Emily stretched out her arms towards him, and Tommy leaned down to hug her with a gentle squeeze, as his niece hugged him with all her might, clutching to his shirt with her small hands.

''You smell funny.'' she quipped, wrinkling her nose at the scent of his cologne.

Tommy rolled his eyes. ''Be good, squirt.''

''I want a hug too, Uncle Tommy.'' Rosie squeaked.

She had a pout on her face, and Tommy couldn't help but smile at the sight of his two nieces. It continued to amaze him each and every day how two little kids could make his chest feel tight and spread a smile across his face without even trying. He hugged her too, and planted a kiss on both her and Emily's heads.

He turned to Sharon who gave him an enormous grin. He would be lying if he said the unrelenting crush the teenager had on him didn't unnerve him, so he settled on a polite nod in her direction before leaving.

As he clambered in to the front seat of his Camry, Tommy was embarrassed to admit he actually felt a little anxious. He was out of comfort zone, but he reminded himself of the fact that that might actually be a _good _thing. So before he could talk himself out of it, he put the key of the ignition and started up the engine.

* * *

She was late, just like she always was. Punctuality had never been Lee's forte, although she put it down to bad luck rather than a lack of organisation. The traffic never seemed to be in her favor, or the directions were too difficult to follow. Karina always joked that Lee couldn't navigate her away out of a paper bag. Today's mishap involved a certain missing black, strappy shoe with a gold buckle detail. And although Lee could have opted for a different pair, it bothered her so much that today of all days a lone shoe had gone walk about that she was hell bent on locating it.

And although this set her back half an hour, she actually felt pleased with the finished product. She styled her hair in loose curls, and completed her make-up with a plentiful helping of mascara and a dab of red lipstick to compliment her dress. She looked _good. Great, _even. She made a mental note to go shopping with her aunt again, although on a smaller budget next time around. There was no denying Barbara's excellent taste.

But she couldn't help the feeling of inadequacy that seem to encircle her as she drove through Rose Lawn. It was like a picture plucked straight from a glossy magazine. Every house she passed seemed to exceed the beauty of the previous one, and even the gloomy clouds of the November sky looming overhead couldn't tarnish it. Each boasted cutting edge, modern architecture and pristine front gardens. She felt the crushing weight of self-consciousness as she pondered over how her beat up old car must have looked driving through a place like this.

Having miraculously managed to follow the directions she had been given, she eventually came to lengthy driveway, flanked by neatly cut hedgerows. She couldn't ignore the ball of nerves nestled deep in her stomach, like a thousand restless butterflies were having a rave in there. She knew it was ridiculous, and she reminded herself of the fact that she was a grown woman, and this was just a party. _At a fancy house. Full of fancy, rich people who I have no idea how to even make conversation with_, she thought.

And the feeling certainly didn't subside when she caught sight of Frank's home. It was an artfully constructed building, clad in zinc, that looked as though it belonged on the set of a Bond film. The immaculate lawn appeared to extend round to the back of the house, and Lee would have bet her money on there being a pool back there too. The expansive driveway was already packed with cars, and amidst all the expensive vehicles Lee settled on parking next to a modest looking Camry. It was a tight squeeze, and she knew her 'crapmobile' – as Karina had nicknamed it – was going to stick out like a sore thumb regardless.

Her car came to a noisy halt, and she reached for her lipstick and a small compact from her black satin clutch bag. She began touching up her red pout, making various 'O' shapes with her mouth, and a few particularly attractive expressions in order to check her teeth for any trace of lipstick.

She felt the blush rising to her cheeks when out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of a hulking figure of a man in the Camry parked next to her looking at her funnily, and realized she must look ridiculous. _At least I'm not the only one running late_, she thought to herself. She hurriedly put the lipstick and compact back in her clutch and reached for the door handle, avoiding eye contact with the man next door who was now trying to make himself look busy, clearly embarrassed that he had been caught staring.

As she tried to open the door, she realized that the handle was jammed. Again. She cursed the pile of junk for the thousandth time as her gentle attempts at opening the door quickly turned in to impatient and aggressive tugging. She knew the man was looking at her again, but she didn't care, she just wanted to get inside.

''Stupid. Piece. Of. Shit.'' She muttered to herself.

BANG.

* * *

The loud bang caught Tommy by surprise, and he reluctantly looked towards the seemingly manic young woman in the car next to him. She was no longer making strange faces in to a little mirror, but instead she looked like a deer caught in headlights, staring at him with widened eyes. It only took him a moment to realise what had happened, and Tommy's eyes shifted from the woman to the door of her car touching his. The last thing he saw was her wrenching at the door handle, and it was obvious what had happened.

_Fuck, _he thought, as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers and closing his eyes briefly. _Today of all days_.

The woman was becoming visibly more and more flustered as she looked between him and the spot where her door had crashed in to his. She stepped out and in to the tight space between the two cars, attempting to inspect the damage she had done. Tommy inhaled and exhaled deeply before getting out of his car and walking round to the other side to join the her where she stood. He took one look at the sizable dent in his car door and let out an irritated sigh.

''I'm _so _sorry.'' she began. ''The door.. I wasn't thinking.. and it just flew open and..''

Tommy looked at the crystalline blue eyes looking up at him, filled with sincere apology, and the freshly painted, plump lips moving as she uttered something about a jammed door handle, her humiliation evident from the pink blush creeping across her cheeks. Even in the heeled shoes she was wearing, she stood a couple of inches shorter than Tommy. Her accent wasn't one of the familiar American variations he was used to hearing, rather she had a subtle – but not overwhelmingly - British inflection. Her brunette hair cascaded down her shoulders, settling just above her bosom which was on moderate display because of the red dress she was wearing, which the male part of Tommy's brain couldn't help but think fit her like a damn glove.

* * *

The man remained silent as Lee continued to ramble some kind of vaguely coherent apology. She could feel her cheeks heating up as the embarrassment washed over her. She hadn't even manged to make it to the door of Frank's house without having a mishap, and she resigned herself to the fact that any chance of today running smoothly for her was doomed from the very beginning.

The man standing in front of her was tall in comparison to her short stature, sporting an exceptionally muscular frame which was evident beneath the fitted black shirt he was wearing. His face was composed of a myriad of sharply cut, precise lines, spanning from the line of his jaw to his straight nose. It was occupied by a plump pair of lips, now pursed into a hard line, and two stormy grey eyes which were gazing at her with a mildly unnerving intensity. His broad frame only served to shrink the space between the two cars, making it almost claustrophobic.

Seeming to sense her discomfort, he took a step back from her and turned around, crouching down to inspect the damage closer. And if she didn't have a feeling of minor panic rising in her chest, she would have paid closer attention to the way his dark wash jeans clung to his ass, and the way the muscles of his back seemed to ripple beneath the thin fabric of his shirt.

Lee's motor mouth was running on autopilot, and she knew she was probably aggravating him even more with her incessant chatter. ''We can swap insurance details.. I just.. I'm so sorry about this. I've been meaning to fix the door for ages..''

_He doesn't give a shit about your motor maintenance, shut up. _She chided herself.

The silence hung heavily in the air as she waited for some kind of response from the man, who eventually stood up. ''Don't need no insurance details.'' he grumbled. His voice was low and gruff, and she could see his annoyance at her clumsiness under the surface of his calm exterior.

''Um.. ok. Do you want to exchange contact details? And we can - ''

''No, 's fine.'' he muttered. ''It ain't so bad, there's no need.''

Lee blinked dumbly. ''Are you sure? I really have no problem paying - ''

''I'm sure.'' The hint of agitation in his voice was not lost on her, so she bit her lip and stopped talking.

He opened his car door, in a slow controlled motion, looking particularly mindful of the distance between his car and hers. It was obviously intentional, and Lee resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He retrieved a beige jacket and two bottles of wine from the passenger seat, and locked the car. He walked towards the bonnet before stopping to look back in her direction.

''Well, uh.. You heading in?''

She started at him dumbly for a moment before realizing that he was waiting for her. ''Oh, inside? Yeah.'' she let out a small nervous laugh as she retrieved her clutch from the seat of her car.

She could tell it was simply a polite gesture on his part, which she silently wished he hadn't bothered with as they walked to the front door in awkward and uncomfortable silence.

Although she had humiliated herself more than enough already, the words seemed to tumble out of her mouth without notice. ''I know i've said it about ten times in last five minutes. But I'm sorry.. About your car.'' she blurted.

He looked down at her with a raised eyebrow and simply nodded. She could have sworn she saw a hint of an amused smile form at the corner of his mouth amidst his irritation, but maybe she was just being hopeful. She noticed the bottles of wine in his hand, and let out an involuntary groan as she realized she had forgotten to pick up a little something to contribute on her way over.

She knew that Frank wouldn't particularly care, but she felt embarrassed about turning up empty-handed. She cursed the little black shoe on her left foot, because if she hadn't turned her apartment upside down looking for it, she would have arrived on time with a bottle of wine, and she might not have had this awkward encounter with the reserved yet extremely attractive man standing next to her.

He gazed at her with raised eyebrows as she looked at the bottles of wine in his hands with a scowl on her face. ''You're not havin' a very good day are you.''

Lee was glad when he spoke, having assumed she had talked him out of any desire to engage in conversation with her. ''Yeah.'' She said quietly, followed by a nervous laugh. They stopped at the door and Lee pressed the doorbell.

''Here.'' he muttered, holding out the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. ''I got the red anyway.''

She was more than surprised at the man's kind gesture, and shook her head politely. ''Oh no, really. You bought it...''

''Take it.'' he said, gently but firmly placing the bottle in her hand. ''Can't turn up empty handed to a birthday party.''

She wanted to say thank you to him. If anything, she should be giving _him _a bottle of wine. But for some reason she could feel the intensity of his gaze on her so acutely, that all she could do was nod. The bubble popped as the door opened, where Frank stood in a white shirt and navy dress pants, with a beer in hand and a huge grin on his face.

''Lee! Tommy! Come on in, glad you could make it.'' The pair smiled back, and Lee looked towards the man – who's name she now knew was Tommy - , who politely gestured for her to go in first.

If the exterior of Frank's house was impressive, the inside exceeded all expectations. The hallway boasted a double-heighted ceiling which allowed the natural light to illuminate the place, with stunning exposed brick work walls. The sound of chatter and music from throughout the house spilled in to the hallway, and Lee felt another twinge of nervousness.

''Sorry I'm late.'' she said.

''No, no problem at all. You look fantastic.'' He leaned in to give her a one-armed hug and a kiss on the cheek. ''And you don't scrub up so bad either, brotha'.'' he added, extending his hand to Tommy who took it in a firm hand shake.

''Nice place.'' Tommy replied. He held up the bottle Pinot Noir. ''It's not much, but uh.. happy birthday.''

''This is great, I have a feeling we'll be running dry by eight o' clock.'' Frank said with a smile. ''Thanks Tommy.''

Lee felt incredibly sheepish presenting the bottle of white to Frank, but also grateful to the man standing beside her who had saved her from another bout of humiliation. Frank raised his eyebrows at the two of them. ''You two know each other?''

''No.'' they both blurted the words out in unison, garnering them an odd look from Frank.

''Okay, well food... wine.. beer, all in the kitchen.'' He pointed to the door at the end of the hall. ''Barbara should be in there too, Lee. She's running around like a headless chicken. Try and get her relax a little, would you? She deserves it.''

Lee let out a giggle, she could picture her aunt without even needing to see her. ''I'll do my best. Happy birthday by the way.''

She gave a nod and a smile to the man who's car she had dinged and who's wine she had robbed, before scurrying off to the kitchen to find her aunt. As she reached the end of the hall, she turned around to see him engrossed in conversation with Frank. She waited for him to catch her eye, and then mouthed a quick 'thank you' at him before entering the kitchen.

* * *

Tommy watched as the woman with the nervous motor mouth sauntered off down the hall in that unmissable red dress. Frank was telling him about a few people who it would be worth his time speaking to the this evening, even if it did mean answering questions about Sparta. He knew it was rude, but he wasn't really paying attention. And when the woman turned around to mouth what he thought was a 'thank you' at him, he would admit that he completely zoned out.

''You sure you two don't know each other?'' Frank's question grabbed his attention. ''That's Barbara's niece.''

_Barbara_.. Tommy considered the name for a moment before remembering the women who had come in to Frank's office like a whirlwind of chatter yesterday morning. _Yep, _he thought. _Definitely related._

He just shrugged in response, shaking his head. ''Never met 'er.''


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the delay in getting out this chapter! I have been so very busy with work the last few weeks, but this chapter is extra long to make up for it. Please please read and review and let me what you think, for better or for worse! Any advice is welcomed. :) And thank you to anyone who has reviewed already, it's really encouraging and much appreciated. Enjoy!**

* * *

Lee sat comfortably on the plush grey corner sofa which seemed to fill an enormous amount of space in the expansive open plan kitchen and living room. It was stunning, managing to maintain a minimalist design without feeling cold or unwelcoming. Large windows spanned the length of one wall, revealing a beautifully well kept garden and swimming pool. A large glass door led out on to the decking, where a dozen or so people sat enjoying the view, despite the less than agreeable November weather.

After an hour of Barbara frantically restocking the ice coolers with beer, refilling people's glasses, and replenishing the h'orderves, Lee had successfully managed to sit her aunt down with a nice tall glass of expensive Merlot.

As per usual she looked spectacular, donning an emerald green dress with three-quarter length sleeves which highlighted her marvelous figure. It complimented her red hair beautifully, which was styled in an elegant bun at the base of her neck, and a Swarovski crystal necklace polished off her outfit.

She didn't know whether it was the couple of glasses of wine in her system, or the fact that the evening had pleasantly surprised her, but Lee actually felt _relaxed_. It was eighty-thirty already, and much to her surprise time had slid right by, and not at the painfully slow pace she had expected.

Her pre-empted expectations from the evening were continuing to shrink further and further away from reality. None of the people she had spoken to had been self-important or pretentious, and she scolded her own foolish prejudices. She felt stupid for assuming that friends of Frank would be anything short of polite and pleasant. Because although she didn't know him very well, she knew him well enough to know that snobbery was barely even in his vocabulary.

She panicked when she found out Bailey Simmons, one of the two or three co-workers she actually considered a friend, wasn't coming. He wrote articles on men's fashion for the _Philadelphia Opinion_, and his exuberant and bubbly persona was just what she felt she needed this evening. But after an extensive inquisition in to her completely barren love life by a gaggle of Barbara's close friends, she realized she didn't have any shortage of people to talk to.

She had resolved to do the listening after thoroughly embarrassing herself earlier on. A couple of hours later, she was still scolding herself over her inability to keep her damn mouth shut. She spotted the man from before every now and then, and each time he seemed to be talking to a different person. Although it appeared as though he was being talked _at _more than anything else, and Lee actually felt a little relieved at the fact that she wasn't the only one who had trouble getting words out of him.

She quietly paid attention to the conversations going on around her, none of which she was particularly a part of, but she was just happy to listen. Frank was talking to a man who's name she had gathered was Marco, about a knee injury and training regimes. And every so often Barbara would playfully scold the pair for talking about work on their day off.

Meanwhile Barbara was speaking to one of Frank's cousins, Sandra, and her husband Howard. Sandra and Frank looked remarkably alike, sporting the same handsome dark features. She was telling Barbara about Frank's feeble pursuit of a singing career in his early twenties, despite the fact he had a mediocre voice at best.

Barbara threw her head back with laughter, and Lee couldn't contain the giggle that escaped her. ''I don't _believe _it!'' Barbara spluttered.

Frank turned his attention to the conversation.''That's enough story-telling.'' he warned, but Lee could see the small simpering smile playing at his lips.

The effects of the alcohol were beginning to take effect on the room, the laughter and chatter increasing in volume with every passing minute.

''He used to do a – shall we say – _interesting_, cover of Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up.' Always went down a treat.'' Sandra added.

At that moment Barbara lost all traces of composure and began shrieking with laughter, as did everyone else listening in on the conversation, attracting the attention of everyone in earshot. Frank glared at his traitorous cousin, but even he couldn't contain his laughter.

''The eighties were a time for experimentation.'' he said defensively.

After managing to command some of her self-control back, Barbara stood up to retrieve another bottle of wine, and refilled the glasses of everyone around the table.

_I sure as hell wont be driving home tonight. _Lee thought to herself.

A tall, bald man walked up to behind Frank, and tapped him on the shoulder. Frank looked up, and a grin spread across his face as he stood up. ''Jonathan!'' he exclaimed. He took his hand in firm shake. ''Great to see you brotha'.''

The two men began speaking, and Barbara continued blathering with Sandra. Lee sipped idly on her glass of wine, as she surveyed the room. She smiled at the sight of what must have been upwards of fifty people laughing and chatting, and simply _enjoying _themselves. She couldn't spot the man from before, - Tommy -, anywhere, and she found herself wondering if he had left already.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the deep voice of a man. ''Lee, right?''

She turned to see that the man Frank had just been speaking to, Marco, had scooted up the sofa on her right. He had one hand outstretched towards her, whilst the other held his beer. He had a handsome smile, which was beaming straight at her.

''Yeah.'' She answered politely, and shook his hand.

''It's very nice to meet you Lee.'' He gently squeezed her hand before releasing it.

With the alcohol buzzing in her brain, she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. ''So.. Not that I was eavesdropping or anything, but you almost made it to Sparta, huh?''

Although her knowledge when it came to MMA was arguably quite limited, Sparta was one thing she _did _know about. Well, she knew _of _it. When she was in hospital with three broken ribs, awaiting correctional rhinoplasty on her busted nose, as well as a host of other injuries, Nate used to visit her as often as he was able. The Sparta tournament was underway at the time, and Nate was a keen MMA fan. She remembered him rambling on about Sparta, when she wasn't much in the mood for talking herself. They even watched one of the fights during one of his visits, when some Russian dude was fighting.

''Yeah, I did.'' His face seemed to light up at the question.

Ten minutes later, she regretted asking. He had barely stopped to take a breath, providing her with what felt like a minute by minute run-down of the events leading up to his knee injury. She politely nodded and smile, and tried not to let it bother her too much. Because after all, the guy probably hadn't been asked much since he was put out of the running for such an enormous competition. The world could be fickle like that. She glanced around, only to notice that Frank and Barbara had abandoned ship.

Upon spotting an opening in the conversation, she polished off her glass of wine and politely excused herself.

''If you don't mind, I need to use the bathroom.''

Lee felt bad at the way his face fell a little. ''Sure, no problem.''

She stood up swiftly and exited the kitchen, walking aimlessly through the hallway until she found the bathroom. As every where else in the house, it was simple and stylish, covered wall to wall in beige tiling, which Lee found quite relaxing.

She pulled down her underwear and sat on the toilet. She really _did_ need to pee. She spotted what appeared to be some sort of remote control on a small table next to the toilet. Assuming it was some fancy controls for the lights, she picked it up and tested it out by pressing the OFF button, but nothing happened. She frowned, but curiosity got the best of her, and she tried clicking the ON button.

She almost leaped off the toilet in mid-pee when she felt the seat beginning to heat up, warming her bum up in the process. After a moment, she realized how pleasant the sensation was, and made a mental note that if she was ever as rich as Frank, she was getting one of these things installed in her house.

But she was forced to get up when she heard the unmistakable tune of the 'Happy Birthday' song ring down the corridors. _Shit_, she thought. _The cake._ She finished up, and reluctantly clicked the OFF button again before washing her hands and taking a quick glance in the mirror.

The red colour on her lips had begun to fade, so she quickly reapplied the creamy lipstick and popped it back in her clutch. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, _she _knew she was drunk, but she didn't think it was too obvious. It seemed that after months of drinking at the club every night, her alcohol tolerance still remained pitiful, and the three small glasses of wine had done their job.

She re-entered the now darkened kitchen just as the last line of the song was sung with admirable mirth by Frank's family and friends.

''_HAPPY BIRTHDAY – TO YOUUUU!''_

Everyone in the room began to cheer and clap, and with the lights dimmed and the swarm of people, Lee couldn't see a thing. She thought she had managed to sneak in quietly as she went to join the back of the group. But the soft clatter of her heels had attracted the attention of a newly familiar face who peered around to look at her.

Even in the low light Lee could see the steely grey of his eyes, the sharp lines of his face, and she just about make out the way his mouth pulled up at the corner.

* * *

After a long-winded and slightly incoherent chat with one of her aunts considerably drunk friends, Lee found Barbara – or rather heard her – sitting at the enormous circular glass table in the dining area with two people she didn't recognize. There was a bottle of wine on the table also, as well as a number of plates scattered with the remnants of the colossal cake Barbara had commissioned from a local artisan baker.

The woman had blonde hair, and donned a powder blue skirt and white blouse, and seated next to her was a broad-framed man with brown hair, wearing a slate grey shirt.

''Lee!'' she called. ''Come, I want you to meet these two.''

Lee could tell just by the sound of her aunt's voice that she was far drunker than she was. She became louder, and her usual cool aplomb began to fade away to reveal a more giddy Barbara. And it always amazed Lee that her aunt always managed to maintain her charm, no matter how shitfaced.

She took a seat next to her, allowing herself to be introduced.

''This is Tess, and Brendan Conlon.''

The names were familiar to Lee, because Barbara had already told her plenty about the pair. Just last week her and Frank had been to dinner with them, and she seemed to only have good things to say about them.

Brendan Conlon was the guy that Frank trained for Sparta, and Lee had to admit, the fact he had _won _it surprised her a little. He certainly didn't _seem _like the toughest guy on the planet, but Lee reminded herself that looks could be deceiving. He was indisputably handsome, with rugged features which were softened by two warm grey eyes.

His wife was gorgeous too. She sported a petite frame, and a heart-shaped face which only needed the minimal make-up she had on to make her look stunning.

''It's great to meet you both.'' she said politely, shaking each of their hands in turn.

''We've heard so much about you.'' Tess said genially.

Lee let out a nervous laugh at the comment, though she knew her aunt would never gossip about her. Not like _that. _

''All good things.'' she added, before taking another sip of wine.

''Well that's a relief.'' Lee giggled.

Barbara reached the bottle of wine and refilled her glass. Before refilling Lee's too. ''Oh no, I'm fine thanks.'' Lee said.

Barbara ignored her refusal and nodded towards Brendan. ''Are you sure you wont have a beer?''

''I'd love nothing more, but i'm driving back unfortunately.''

''Can't Tommy? I offered him one too earlier, and he said he was driving?''

''We drove up separately. He was taking too long.'' he chuckled.

''Doing his hair.. Picking his outfit..'' Tess joked.

Brendan laughed and gave his wife a playful elbow.

''Somehow how I find _that_ hard to believe.'' Barbara said with a smile.

''I don't know where he's gone off too actually.'' Brendan murmured.

Lee looked at Brendan, who's grey, sparkling orbs mirrored the those of the man in question. They were brothers. They certainly shared some similarities. The eyes, for starters, and they both possessed the same indisputably masculine presence, and thick build. Although Brendan seemed to lie on the slightly more talkative end of the spectrum.

The name Tommy Conlon suddenly became very familiar. The words 'badass', and 'animal' seemed to spring to mind, all words used by Nate to describe the guy. He was certainly a more imposing figure than his brother. She blushed at the thought that Tommy might have already told Brendan and Tess about her little mishap earlier.

His ears must have been burning, because just a moment later him and Frank walked in. A grin slowly spread across Frank's face as Brendan stood up, and the pair greeted one another with a hearty hug and a pat on the back.

''Hard to get a hold on the birthday boy around here.'' Brendan joked.

''I've been looking for you. Thanks for comin' brotha'.'' Frank said. ''Why doesn't this man have a beer? Can we get this man a beer?''

Brendan laughed. ''I'm driving, man.''

''Shame.'' Frank muttered, and turned his attention to Tess. ''Well at least someone's enjoying themselves a drink.'' He said, as he leaned down to give her a hug. ''Glad you guys could make it.''

Out of the corner of her eye, Lee could see Tommy's lumbering figure, and she was reminded of the imposing presence she felt earlier when the two of them were standing in the tight space between the two cars. She felt his eyes fall on her, and she scolded herself over the ridiculous blush which spread across her cheeks.

''Well, we'll have to leave soon unfortunately. We told the babysitter we'd be back by eleven.''

Frank frowned a little. ''Aw c'mon, I haven't even got a chance to talk to you guys.''

''I'll ring her, tell her we'll be late.'' Tess chirped, looking expectantly at her husband.

''I was gonna head back soon anyway.'' Tommy's low and husky voice spoke. ''Got trainin' in the morning.''

Lee took the opportunity to take a long lingering look at the guy, and through her tipsy haze she had to remind herself its rude to stare as she looked away.

''No, no.'' Tess dismissed him. ''I'll ring her now.''

''Great!'' Frank said, taking a seat next to Barbara and placing his arm on the back of her chair.

As Barbara starting relaying the story Sandra had told her earlier to Brendan, and Frank tried to deny the whole thing, the vacant chair between Lee and Tommy suddenly looked starkly obvious as he stood somewhat awkwardly. She looked up at him and smiled, an nodded towards the chair.

He took a seat next to her, and she was once again reminded that the man was built like a brick house, and his frame seemed to encroach on her and leave little space between the two of them. She could even smell the faint scent of his cologne, mixed with something more musky that didn't come out a bottle.

Whatever it was, it was utterly heady. And she didn't know whether it was her new revelation that the guy was a cage fighting 'animal', or that the space between them was simply too claustrophobic, but she could feel the heat rising at the back of her neck. Her vow to stick with water for the rest of the night was suddenly meaningless, as she reached for the tall glass of wine in front of her to take a long, and probably unmannerly swig.

''I think I saw an eighties CD somewhere in your collection earlier.'' Barbara said, with a small smirk on her face. ''What do you say we get it out Frank? You could give us an exclusive, one time only sing-song.''

* * *

By twelve o' clock, the dozen or so people left were all seated around the enormous table in the dining area of Frank's home. Tommy, Tess and Brendan remained, along with a couple of Frank's cousins and their partners, a few people who Tommy had no clue about, Frank, the 'editor', and her damn near distracting niece.

Little by little, the guests had gone home, popping their heads in to say goodbye, and expressing their thanks to Barbara and Frank for such a wonderful evening. Frank's homely abode was just as incredible as Tommy had expected, and then some. It was an example of cutting-edge design. And while Tommy would be the first to admit he didn't know shit about cutting-edge design, he sure as hell knew that if he ever had as much money as Frank did, this was the kind of place he would want to live in.

He looked at the table full of smiling faces, and he was silently glad that he hadn't cut and run earlier in the evening like he had planned. After a rocky start, and a few grueling inquisitions about Sparta, he actually had the opportunity to enjoy himself in a way he hadn't expected. He listened to the fits of laughter as people exchanged funny anecdotes and roasted Frank in to oblivion. Tommy even let out a few chuckles himself.

Himself and Brendan must have been the only sober people at the table. And while Tommy would have appreciated a few beers in him to calm his nerves, it was a nice thought to know that he didn't _need _them. Tess on the other hand was flying high, and Tommy didn't think he had ever seen her so drunk. Her and the '_editor_', Barbara, clearly got on like a house on fire, and he had to admit it was nice to see her enjoying herself so much.

He remained quiet for much of the conversation, and in truth, he was just happy to listen. He had always been more of a listener than a talker, even as a kid. An observer. And surprisingly, the woman sitting on his left had remained pretty hushed too. And still, he wondered, how someone who had barely spoken in the last hour and a half could be so damn distracting.

He wondered if she was just incredibly embarrassed about the car. But he resolved that that was unlikely, given that she couldn't keep her trap shut earlier. And besides, most people's jaws get _looser _after a few glasses. And at the rate she was drinking her wine, she should have been talking the ear off him. So that brought him to option number two. Had he been rude earlier? He knew he could err on the edge of being cantankerous sometimes. But then he reminded himself that she bashed her door in to _his_ car.

He couldn't help but notice that it was the first time this evening he had seen her that she actually looked relaxed. When she dinged his car, she was flustered. And she certainly looked a little wide-eyed and fidgety while she was talking to Marco Santos. Well, rather, he was talking _at _her. And of course, when she practically tumbled in to the kitchen in those noisy damn heels, having missed bringing out the cake.

_You been watching her or what?_ He chided himself.

He resolved that the dress she was wearing was to blame. It was just short enough that it exposed the skin of her pale, but incredibly smooth looking legs. And whenever she leaned back in to her chair and threw her head back with laughter, he got an eyeful of her cleavage which was on modest display. Each time, he had to dart his eyes away quickly so that no one caught him being a fucking pervert.

It was pitiful, really. And he would have been embarrassed about thinking like a horny teenager if he wasn't currently enduring a sexual drought that was leaving him completely parched. But even so, he knew it was absurd that he kept eyeballing the red stain that her plump pout left on the rim of her wine glass.

He found the silence between the two of them stifling. Because whilst the rest of the table engaged in various conversations, the reticence between them hung heavily in the air. But just as he was about to break the ice, she beat him to it.

''Thanks for earlier, again.'' She said quietly.

It took him a moment to register that she was in fact speaking to _him, _and not some figure directly behind his head.

''The wine.'' She reminded him. ''I can be a little forgetful now and then.'' She added, with a nervous laugh.

Her big blue eyes orbs were looking straight at him, slightly glassy from the liqour. The rational part of his brain had to remind him that he was actually supposed to _respond_, and not sit there like a dumbass.

''No problem.'' he muttered.

She went to open her mouth again, but he cut her off. ''An' before you say it, there's no problem wit' the car either.''

He gave her a small smile so she knew he was teasing, and she let out a carefree giggle, rather than one of her nervous laughs. And he noticed the way her shoulders went slack from the tense position they had been in, and she relaxed back in to her chair.

After a minute, she spoke again. ''Frank's place is pretty incredible, huh?''

''Yeah. I sure as hell 'ave never been in a house this fancy.'' he remarked.

She glanced around quickly before leaning in closer to him to whisper. ''Have you been in the bathroom yet?''

He raised his eyebrows at the question, and stiffened slightly at her sudden closeness. He shook his head.

''The toilet seat, like, _heats up_.'' She whispered. ''Freaked the shit out of me.''

Tommy was surprised at the full-hearted laugh he let out, and even Brendan glanced across the table at him.

''I'm gonna go to the kitchen to get a glass of water.'' she said. ''You want anything?''

''I'm alright, thanks.'' he replied.

She turned around to ask her aunt the same question, before standing up. He was trying not to ogle her like a creep as she shimmied out from between chairs, her body ever so slightly grazing against his arm, causing his body to stiffen again.

She was just out of his field of view when he heard a clatter.

Like a spring he popped from his seat and turned round to see she had fallen on the ground.

''Oh god, Lee are you okay?'' The shrill voice of Barbara Aherne sounded like a claxon in his ear.

He reacted quickly, and with surprisingly little hesitance as placed his hands firmly on either side of her waist, and gently pulled her up from the ground with little effort.

''It's the shoes.'' She muttered.

Tess was the first to break with laughter, and the shocked expression on Brendan's face as he looked at his wife was enough to make the rest of the table explode. Even Lee started laughing, and Tommy thought that she must have been thankful for Tess making a joke of it. He gently sat her back on to her seat.

''You didn't hit your nose, did you?'' Barbara said.

The comment confused Tommy slightly, and Lee shook her head.

''I think it might be time for home.'' Barbara said in between giggles.

''I could say the same for this one.'' Brendan said, nodding his head towards Tess, to which she responded with a 'What do you mean?' look.

''I think you might be right.'' Lee replied.

Barbara's expression changed to one a little more serious as she surveyed her niece. ''I don't know if you should get cab.''

''I'm fine, I promise.'' Lee said defensively. And Tommy had to agree, that while she wasn't exactly slurring her worms, she was definitely drunk.

''Brendan, you don't live so far from Woodgate, do you?'' Barbara said.

''No, don't think so. I'm sure we can take a little detour.''

The sound of his own voice surprised even him, as the suggestion was out of his mouth before he even considered that it might have sounded odd.

''You won't be back in time for the babysitter.'' He said to Brendan, and turned his attention to Barbara. ''I can take 'er, if you'd like.''

Barbara beamed at him with a little more enthusiasm than he expected. ''That would be great, thanks Tommy.''

''I _really_ don't need someone to take me home.'' Lee protested, knowing full well the decision had already been made for her. ''A cab is just fine.''

Barbara stood up, gently pulling Lee up with her. ''Come on, you can come get your car in the morning.''

She pulled her niece into a tight hug, before planting a firm kiss on her forehead, and whispering something in her ear. And whatever it was, Lee rolled her eyes in response. Frank was next to give her a hug and a kiss.

''Thanks for coming doll.'' He said, and looked at Tommy. ''Make sure you get a good session in the gym in the morning brotha', cause I sure as shit wont be there.'' he laughed.

''Will do.'' Tommy replied, giving him a firm handshake. ''Thanks for tonight.''

''And thank you too, Barbara.'' he said. His body stiffened automatically when the woman, who he didn't know from Adam, pulled him in to an embrace and planted a genial kiss on his cheek.

''Thanks.'' she whispered in his ear.

He looked over at Brendan and Tess, as Tess gave him the possibly the oddest look he had ever received from her. It was a sort of drunken smirk, as she looked back and forth between himself and Lee. ''See you guys in the mornin'.'' he grumbled.

They said their goodbyes to the rest of the table, before walking out in to the hallway. Sure enough, Lee could walk just fine but Tommy still held his hand just hovering at the small of her back just in case. They walked silently to the front door, which Tommy opened and politely gestured for her to go first.

''You 'ave a jacket?'' He asked.

''No, I didn't bring - '' She stumbled on the door sill, and Tommy quickly reached down to encircle her waist, and pull her firmly but gently to his side.

''Sorry.'' she mumbled. ''I'm really not that drunk.'' she insisted. ''I just haven't drank in a while.''

His body tensed as the delicate smell of coconut from her hair reached his nostrils, as he couldn't ignored how _good _it smelled mingled with the fresh air.

He released his grip, but his hand remained very lightly on her waist so as not to be intrusive, but to still prevent another trip up as they slowly walked to his car.

''Ain't no shame in bein' a lightweight.'' he teased.

She looked up at him with an expression of mock-offence, and let out laugh. He opened the passenger car door, and waited patiently until she was seated before shutting it, and getting in to the driver's seat.

He quietly watched her as she fumbled with her seat belt, and the realisation hit him that he was taking the drunken stranger he had been leering at like a highschool kid all night home. He tried not to smirk at the look of concentration on her face, and just as he was about to offer a helping hand, he heard to affirming *click* of her belt. He fastened his own, and put the key to his Camry in the ignition and started up the engine.

''Thank you for this.'' she said quietly. ''My aunt can be a little.. _bossy. _Or tyrannical, whichever you prefer.'' she joked.

He smiled at her comment. ''Ain't no problem. She certainly seems a little..'' his sentence trailed off, as he tried to think a suitable, but non-offensive word.

''Nuts?''

Tommy smiled. ''She seems great.''

''She _is_ great.'' The sincerity of her words weren't lost on Tommy. ''She called you _bangable_.''

The comment stopped him short, and for a moment his innate awkwardness kicked in as he didn't know how to respond. He reminded himself that he was speaking to a drunk person. But then he heard Lee laugh, and the sound was so infectious that he couldn't help but laugh too.

''Been called worse I s'pose.''

They continued to drive in comfortable silence, and after a few minutes Tommy heard the sound of gentle snores coming from the passenger seat. Having stopped at a traffic light, he turned to to see her head lolled back against the head rest, and her eyes closed. He couldn't help but notice how her plump pout was parted slightly. He didn't even realise he was staring until the car behind him honked the horn, because the lights had turned green and Tommy had yet to move.

Woodgate wasn't so far away from Brendan' and Tess, maybe twenty minutes or so. But even so, Tommy knew it was definitely a rougher area. It was an odd feeling, but he was suddenly glad he was taking her home, and not a random cabby.

* * *

By 12.30, he was in Woodgate. He looked over at his passenger who looked sound asleep, and he almost didn't want to wake her up.

''Lee.'' he said gently. ''Lee.'' he said a little louder.

She didn't bat an eyelid, so he reached over to touch her. He went to touch her leg, but stopped himself when he realized that she might freak if she wakes up and damn stranger is feeling her up.

He gently grasped her upper arm, and shook it lightly. ''Lee. We're here.''

Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and she looked up at him with bleary blue orbs. ''Sorry.'' She muttered.

''We're here, an' I dunno where you live.''

She took a moment to look around and pinpoint where they were. ''Oh, it's not far from here. I can get out here and walk.''

''Uh – if it's okay wit' you, I'd like to make sure you get there ok.'' he said quietly. Barbara Aherne would probably cut his balls off if he didn't make sure she got home safely. But equally, he _wanted _to make sure.

She nodded at him with a small smile. ''Turn right up here.''

He turned the corner, and stopped outside what looked to be a tall apartment building.

''Here?''

''Yeah.''

He pulled in to curb, and switched off the engine. Without the sound of the car running, the silence in the air was heavy. He cleared his throat before speaking. ''So uh, you alright to get in yourself?''

''Yeah, I'm only on the third floor.''

Tommy noticed a group of three men standing outside the entrance. Lee followed his gaze. ''I know them.'' She said.

He must have looked unsure, because she continued speaking. ''Honestly, I've lived in rougher places than this. They're actually really nice guys. They helped me move in some of my stuff when I first arrived.''

Slightly more satisfied, he nodded.

''Thank you again. For the lift.'' she said. ''You didn't have to.''

In his head, he thought _I wanted to_. ''Anytime.''

Silence seemed to linger between the two of them for a moment, and it was her who had to break their gaze, as she turned to fumble with the door handle. But just as he thought she was about to leave, she abruptly turned back to look at him with her wide blue eyes again.

''Do you have your phone on you?'' She blurted out the words.

He nodded.

''Well, just in case you change your mind about the car. Or something. I could give you my number.''

He sat and blinked at her like a dumbass for what felt like the thousandth time that evening, and it was only when she looked down at her hands that he was reminded he actually had to reply.

''That would be good.''

He felt like a fool as he fumbled around awkwardly in his pocket, trying to retrieve his phone. After finally managing to coax it from his jean pocket, he opened up 'Add Contact' and passed it to her.

His eyes stayed on her as she gently tapped the numbers in to the key pad, pausing to tuck a loose lock of her glossy brown hair behind her ear. When she was finished, she passed it back to him.

He looked at the faded red stain that remained on her fleshy pout, as it was formed in a small 'o', as if she had something else to say.

''Goodnight.'' She said quietly

''Night.'' He replied.

She opened the door and stepped out, and Tommy watched as she sauntered towards the building entrance on slightly wobbly legs. His attention was only torn from the gentle sway of her hips when she walked passed the group of men. They looked suitably impressed by the sight of her. And even though he couldn't blame them one bit, and it was highly hypocritical of him, he didn't like the way they brazenly gawked at her. But still, they gave her genial smiles and 'hello's, which she returned before she disappeared through the entrance to her apartment block.

Tommy started up the engine, knowing he would have the image of that damned dress and the woman who wore it stuck in his head all night.


End file.
